Extinction

Many bands have made the combination of punk and metal but none have done it with the unprecedented fury of New York City's Nausea. Originating in the squats of N.Y.C.'s Lower East Side during the late '80s, Nausea would influence countless bands worldwide with their politically charged lyrics and a sound that was equally raw and intense. In 1990, after Misery's Al Long became Nausea's new vocalist, they recorded their first and only full-length release, Extinction, with a decidedly D.I.Y. approach. They chose not to create a polished and overproduced record and opted for a more raw and unrefined sound, which only added to the aggressive nature of the songs. Much like the design of records released by their mentors, Crass, the records were packaged in a black-and-white gatefold sleeve complete with lyrics and would unfold into a large poster. The record was rife with guitar riffs akin to Black Sabbath and Slayer as vocalists Al Long and Amy Miret vociferously shouted about topics like war, religion, and vivisection. "Inherit the Wasteland" and "Butchers" are only two of the songs which demonstrate that Extinction was a record that was as important to the punks of the '90s as the Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks was to the punks of the late '70s. It influenced a whole new wave of punks who would adopt a more politically aware and socially active agenda as opposed to assimilating the stereotypes that most punk bands embraced. ~ John Griffin