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TSOL
Alternative Press - Editorial Intern on 7/13/09 @ 4:48 PM - altpress.comYEARS OF EXISTENCE: 1978-1983; 1991; 1999-present
RECORD TO START WITH: Dance With Me (1981, Frontier)
AFTER THAT, CHECK OUT: Beneath The Shadows (1982, Alternative Tentacles)
GO DOWNLOAD: "Silent Scream," "Thoughts Of Yesterday," "Code Blue," "Beneath The Shadows," "Superficial Love," "Terrible People"
THE MUSIC, THE MESSAGE: Evolving from the band Vicious Circle, the infamous TSOL (True Sounds Of Liberty) were established in Huntington Beach, California, in 1978 by white-face-painted vocalist/madman Jack Grisham, guitarist Ron Emory, bassist Mike Roche and drummer Todd Barnes. Their early work, as showcased on 1981's Posh Boy-released self-titled EP, was fast-paced, ferocious socio-political punk. Their sound soon morphed into a decidedly more goth-influenced style, evidenced on the classic album Dance With Me, with its theatrical vocals, macabre lyrics and haunting instrumentation. Quickly veering directions yet again, TSOL managed to dissuade fans with their mellower sophomore LP, '82's Beneath The Shadows. Bathed in keyboards and wrenchingly poetic lyrics, it didn't fit into hardcore standards. Following the backlash, the band blamed Grisham for the record; he then left the group, followed shortly by Barnes. Emory and Roche continued under the TSOL moniker with Grisham's brother-in-law Joe Wood as frontman and, taking on a more metal sound, released a handful of albums, beginning with Change Today.
PUNK-ROCK RELEVANCE: With the over-the-top macabre Dance With Me, TSOL were forefathers of death rock, the goth-heavy side of punk, alongside Christian Death and 45 Grave. They also cemented their place in hardcore-punk history by appearing in the 1984 Penelope Spheeris film Suburbia with the Vandals and D.I., which portrayed early-'80s O.C. punk at its most nihilistic.
CURRENT WHEREABOUTS: Amid wrangling with the "metal" TSOL, in 1991, the original members regrouped for what was intended to be a one-off show, then permanently in 1999 (sans Barnes, who passed away that same year). They released Disappear, their comeback full-length, on Nitro Records in 2001, which recalled their early, in-your-face punk; it was followed up by 2003's Divided We Stand. Throughout the years, Grisham has worked on numerous projects, including Tender Fury and the Joykiller, and he even ran for the office of governor of California in 2003. To celebrate their 30th anniversary, TSOL released a free digital album, titled Life, Liberty & The Pursuit Of Free Downloads, via Hurley.com this past January. -Janelle Jones
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