... "this song goes out to the fat nazi piece of shit who's got our tattoo without our permission in the movie 'american history x'!"...

'American Oi! History Series' - The next stop: Atlanta, Georgia, then following the road further through the States to the homegrounds of THE ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH, MOONSTOMP, ARRESTING OFFICERS, NEW GLORY, and not to forget the YOUTH DEFENSE LEAGUE and the mighty STARS AND STRIPES.

But for now here do come:

THE ANTI-HEROS from Atlanta, Georgia/U.S.A.

Hey folks,

I know, it's really about time that the 'American Oi! History Series' here on this very blog gets continued, yeahr, it's really about time, and so that's what I do now here. After taking a trip to the Westcoast of the United States we're heading down towards the South to go to Atlanta down in Georgia, 'cause here we are to pay our tribute to one of the very best Oi! & Streetpunk bands, not only when it comes to American Oi! music but even rather more when it comes to 'global' Oi! music. You want to know which band this is? Okay, I tell it to ya: THE ANTI-HEROS!!! Yes, it's true, 'cause THE ANTI-HEROS are here!!! A great and very important band, hm, and maybe one of the very few if not the only American Oi! band of the golden 1980's that went straight ahead into the maybe even more golden 1990's era of U.S. Oi! music without losing any of their relevance, no losing but rather gaining more relevance and reputation. And yes, they had always been great, but for sure, if you ask me, they also became even more better and stronger during the 1990's, yeahr, for sure!!!

So, okay, when did it where with whom all started?!? THE ANTI-HEROS were formed back in 1984 (ha, hey, in 1984 I was or I became three years old, haha;-)... just thought I should let you know this, don't ask me why;-)...) by Mark Noah, Mike Jones, and their buddies Mark and Phil. With this bandmembers they should record two records at all, the two great releases "THAT'S RIGHT" and "DON'T TREAD ON ME". "THAT'S RIGHT" was released back in 1987, and "DON'T TREAD ON ME" one year later back in 1988. Both records should came out via "Link Records". But, you know, this label was nothing than a farce, paying not a single poor dime to all the bands that released their stuff via their business channels. But both records should later be re-released in a complete package, coming from the label of Mark Noah himself called "G.M.M. Records", so there's no problem with getting them still from somewhere nowadays, and so you see, excuses why you not have them aren't existing at all. Because of the bad experiences with "Link Records", or maybe because of this fact, Mark Noah should later found one of the best American Oi! labels around called "G.M.M. Records", releasing great acts like for example PATRIOT and PRESSURE POINT (to both bands we will come later in this 'American Oi! History Series' as soon as we'll reach the glorious 1990's years of American Oi! and going up to the present day, so be sure about and prepared for this). Ah, some last words to "Link Records": They've also released the great and legendary "THE U.S. OF Oi!" sampler that featured brilliant bands like the YOUTH DEFENSE LEAGUE, IMMORAL DISCIPLINE, MOONSTOMP, THE KICKER BOYS, WARZONE, THE UPRISE, THE BOOT BOYS, and also THE ANTI-HEROS. So you see, a brilliant, important and necessary sampler that you should really call your own. Hm, maybe I will post someday a solely entry about and to this great and historical and important sampler, time will tell. Okay, where had we've been?!? Ah, exactly, they've released the two above mentioned records in 1987 and 1988, and also they were featured on a bunch of important sampler records during the 1980's. They've worked themselves a very well reputation, but in the August of the year of 1989 they decided to call it a day and defunct the band. That was it for the first time with THE ANTI-HEROS.

But in 1993 they came back with a partly new cast of band members, so they recruited the former CONDEMNED 84 guitarist Mark Magee (one hell of a good guitar player). They've released the 7" vinyl single "ELECTION DAY" featuring three tracks at all, "ELECTION DAY", "Oi!", and "YOU'LL NEVER PUT US DOWN", the single was released via "G.M.M. Records" and have had some strong political issues that it dealt with. One main issue of "ELECTION DAY" and also of the following years of THE ANTI-HEROS should become the election of Bill Clinton to become the president of the United States of America. One issue not only THE ANTI-HEROS dealt with during the 1990's. In 1995 via "G.M.M. Records" the CD EP "MURDER ONE" came out. The cover of the record you do see above, and it was the reason why THE ANTI-HEROS get started to being defamed as racists. Bullshit!!! You just should read the lyrics that deal with three fucking worthless upper class rich kids scumbags that had been killing a bum, beating him for the fun of it to the death and the lyrics close with the verse of "SCUM LIKE YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE FREE / I THINK YOU'D LOOK GOOD HANGING FROM A TREE / NO REMORSE WHEN YOUR DEALT ALL OF THE SPADES / I HOPE YOU GET RAPED IN JAIL AND DIE OF AIDS", damn true words and before you all scream "Racists!" better start reading and understanding the lyrics of the bands that you are defaming, stupid jackasses!!!

Two years later in 1997 their masterpiece "AMERICAN PIE" was released by "Taang! Records". It was an already very outspoken and political record, and it was and is really a brilliant piece of music. To point it out, you need to have every single release of them that you can get, truly every release, but if you're asking yourself where to start, then make sure that you start with this one here, with the "AMERICAN PIE". Take care of it!!!

In 1997 they also released a split 7" vinyl single with BLANKS 77 from New Jersey, featuring two THE ANTI-HEROS tracks ("TRUCK STOP TOILET" and "AT THE EDGE") and one of BLANKS 77 ("I DON'T WANNA BE"). This split single was released via "Radical Records", and yes, like I've already said, in 1997. Beside this single they've also released a bunch of other rare singles, live as well as studio recordings, and other splits, for example with the DROPKICK MURPHYS from Boston, MA. Also they were featured on a lot of important sampler records of the 1990's, like for example the already legendary "THE BACKSTREETS OF AMERICAN Oi!" sampler compilation. And they were also featured on the legendary "LIVE ON A FIVE" single series put out by "HEADACHE RECORDS". During the 1990's beside Mark Magee also Don Shumate (aka 'El Guapo') joined the ranks of THE ANTI-HEROS, after he'd played before the drums in TIME BOMB '77. In 1999 they released their up to this present day final record called "UNDERNEATH THE UNDERGROUND". It's their most outspoken and political record, for sure, and it came out via "G.M.M. Records". Also a great piece of American Oi! music. Beside this they also released the very good live record "1.000 NIGHTS OF CHAOS" that you also should take a good listen to. Don't miss it!!! Point and fact!!!

No matter if you take the lyrics or the music THE ANTI-HEROS haven't lost anything of their relevance and reputation to the present day, and if you ask me, they've also earned themselves much more of it, yeahr, for sure!!! Lyrically critical of society and the scene, anti-racist, and more and more outspoken political, and especially the 'liberal dictator' Bill Clinton and his administration and policy really were 'golden goals' of them. And their dustrdry and bonecracking hard and sharp forwad driven American Oi! really is still today just brilliant and damn great stuff, very unique, characteristic and stand-alone, a very important influence for a huge load of bands out there, and better than all the rest, for sure!!! I love this band!!! Check them out!!! Better yesterday than today!!! Oi! Oi! Oi!

By the way they also had a lawsuit going against the guys that done the blockbuster movie "American History X", 'cause these bunch of jackasses used the logo of THE ANTI-HEROS as an tattoo of the fat Nazi piece of shit in or of that movie, without having any permission of the band to do that. Very good!!! And it was also succesful and the movie making jackasses had to remove the tattoo digitally of every scene it was featured in. Again: Very good!!! Maybe they also made some money out of it, I would have wished it them for sure!!! They also made a brilliant cover of the SKREWDRIVER classic "ANTISOCIAL" with a little bit changed lyrics and the spoke word intro that you can read above as the header of this entry here. And yes, damn it, it's awesome!!!

Even if in 1999 the last studio recording of them saw the light of the day they had neer officially defunct the band, so let us hope that one day there will be coming again a new brilliant record of this great band!!! Until then go and buy their records, read their lyrics, and get their message, ah, and here comes an link to an THE ANTI-HEROS MySpace profile, where you can go by clicking on the http://www.myspace.com/theantiheros link. Some videos of them I'll post and upload later here, for sure!!! I hope you enjoyed this little tribute to one of the to me most important bands, and make sure that you'll check them out as soon as possible!!! Cheers & Oi!

Yeahr, like I've promied, now here do come the promised videos, letus hope that it all will work out the way it should work out;-)!!! You do get three great tracks of them , the brilliant title track of their 'comeback' single "ELECTION DAY", "I'M TRUE", and "RICH PEOPLE DON'T GO TO JAIL". Okay, maybe o 'real videos', but how-ever, grea songs and now just enjoy 'em!!! Oi! Oi! Oi! and: Cheers!!!

THE ANTI-HEROS - "ELECTION DAY"

THE ANTI-HEROS - "I'M TRUE"

THE ANTI-HEROS - "RICH PEOPLE DON'T GO TO JAIL"
Just enjoy it!!! Next stop will be the 'Motor City' of Detroit to paying tribute to the 'Motor City Madmen' of THE ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH, so be prepared for it!!! Oi! Oi! Oi!