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Amebix

From Alfawiki
Amebix
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1978 in Tavistock, Devon, England
FounderRob "the Baron" Miller, Chris "Stig" Miller
Defunct1987; 2012
FateDisbanded
Headquarters
Tavistock, Devon
,
England
Area served
United Kingdom, Europe
Key people
Rob "the Baron" Miller (vocals, bass), Chris "Stig" Miller (guitar), Roy Mayorga (drums)
ProductsStudio albums: No Sanctuary, Arise!, Monolith, Sonic Mass; EPs: Who's the Enemy, Redux; Singles: Winter, Knights of the Black Sun

Amebix was a crust punk group originating from Tavistock, Devon, England. Recognized as trailblazers in the crust punk scene, Amebix fused elements of anarcho-punk and post-punk with early influences from heavy metal music, shaping the development of genres such as grindcore, black metal, death-doom, and metalcore.

The band formed in 1978 under the name the Band with No Name, with brothers Rob "the Baron" Miller handling vocals and bass, and Chris "Stig" Miller on guitar. Their initial recordings leaned towards post-punk before they integrated heavier metal sounds on their debut album No Sanctuary released in 1983. This record, along with their subsequent album Arise! (1985), played a significant role in defining crust punk. After issuing their third album Monolith in 1987, the band disbanded. They reformed in 2008 with drummer Roy Mayorga, producing the album Sonic Mass in 2011 before dissolving once more in 2012.

1978–1980: Formation

In 1978, Rob Miller was dismissed from his position as an Air Training Corps sergeant following an incident involving intoxication while on duty in the Netherlands. That same year, his brother Chris "Stig" Miller returned to Devon from Jersey, and together they decided to start a band. Initially called the Band with No Name—a nod to Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name—the original lineup featured Rob Miller (vocals), Chris Miller (guitar), Clive Barnes (bass), and Andy Hoare (drums).

By 1979, the group adopted the name Amebix, a unique term inspired by a mantra Stig Miller had received at age thirteen. They recorded a six-track demo which Rob Miller, then working as a journalist, submitted to anarcho-punk band Crass. This led to their track University Challenged being included on the Bullshit Detector compilation.

1981–1984: Who's the Enemy and No Sanctuary

In 1981, Amebix and Miller moved to Peter Tavy, residing with newly recruited drummer Martin Baker at Glebe House, a site formerly used for Saxon burials. After Baker was compelled by his parents to leave the band, he relocated to London where he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, inspiring the song "Largactyl." Following Baker’s exit, the band shifted base to Gunnislake, Cornwall, adding keyboardist Norman Butler to their lineup. Subsequently, they settled in Bristol, where they squatted alongside punk groups such as Disorder and Chaos UK. Their debut EP Who's the Enemy, released on 28 August 1982 through Spiderleg Records, reached number 33 on the UK Independent Singles and Albums Charts. Early in 1983, the single "Winter" climbed to number 18 on the UK Indie Chart and maintained its position for seven weeks.

November 1983 saw the release of their first full-length album No Sanctuary, which entered the top 10 of the UK Independent Music Albums Chart. This success caught the attention of Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra, who signed Amebix to his label, Alternative Tentacles, facilitating a European headline tour. During this era, Miller and other band members were arrested in Bologna, Italy, for damaging a squat.

1985–1987: Release of Arise!, Monolith and initial breakup

Drummer Robert "Spider" Richards became a member of the band in 1985, coinciding with the release of their second album, Arise!, which debuted on 14 September via Alternative Tentacles and reached number 3 on the UK Independent Music Chart. The group moved to Bath, Somerset, abandoning their previous squatter lifestyle. In 1987, they unveiled their third studio effort, Monolith, under Heavy Metal Records. Despite this, creative difficulties led to Amebix dissolving later that same year. Following the split, members Spider, George, and Stig formed a new project named Zygote.

2008–2012: Reunion with Sonic Mass and subsequent dissolution

The Miller brothers brought Amebix back together in 2008, enlisting drummer Roy Mayorga. On 25 July 2010, the band released the EP Redux through Profane Existence. This was followed by the 12" single "Knights of the Black Sun" on 22 July 2011. Their fourth full-length album, Sonic Mass, was launched on 23 September 2011. However, by November 2012, Amebix had disbanded once more.

In 2014, Rob "The Baron" Miller collaborated with Jon Misery, Andy Lefton, and Michel "Away" Langevin from Voivod to establish the band Tau Cross.

In 2019, Stig Miller and Mayorga briefly joined forces with Casey Chaos to record eighteen tracks for an unnamed project that was never released. Later in 2023, Stig Miller and Mayorga formed False Fed alongside vocalist Jeff Janiak of Discharge and bassist JP Parsons.

Musical style

Amebix’s early sound was largely inspired by Killing Joke. Their 1983 album No Sanctuary incorporated metal influences while remaining rooted in their initial post-punk style; it is considered one of the pioneering releases within the crust punk subgenre. The band further developed this crust punk identity on their 1985 album Arise. Their unique approach combined post-punk elements with rock'n'roll songwriting reminiscent of Motörhead and a guitar tone influenced by deathrock aesthetics.

The group has cited a wide range of influences including Bauhaus, Killing Joke, Joy Division, Black Sabbath, Motörhead, Crass, Brian Eno, the Stranglers, Devo, Pink Floyd, Accept, Mercyful Fate, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Magazine, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, T. Rex, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Sex Pistols, Hawkwind, Stiff Little Fingers, Cockney Rejects, Procol Harum, David Bowie, and Bad Brains. Additionally, tape exchanges between Amebix and first-wave black metal pioneers Celtic Frost contributed to mutual stylistic influences.

Legacy

Renowned as trailblazers merging elements of anarcho-punk with heavy metal, Amebix are widely regarded as foundational architects of the crust punk genre and have significantly influenced numerous bands within extreme metal and black metal scenes.

Their legacy is acknowledged by various artists such as Sven Erik Kristiansen from Mayhem, as well as groups including Napalm Death, Doom, From Ashes Rise, Gallhammer, Rudimentary Peni, Integrity, Nausea, Disclose, Bolt Thrower, Septic Tank, Starkweather, Mortiis, Heresy, Born Dead Icons, Hellbastard, Deathspell Omega, SECT, Winter, Sepultura, and Deviated Instinct.

In a 2016 interview with The Guardian, Amebix along with other British anarcho-punk bands from the early 1980s were cited as major influences on American post-metal ensemble Neurosis.

Definitive line-up

  • Rob "the Baron" Miller – lead vocals (1978–1987; 2008–2012), bass guitar (1979–1987; 2008–2012)
  • Chris "Stig" Miller – guitar and backing vocals (1978–1987; 2008–2012), keyboards (1978–1979)
  • Roy Mayorga – drums, percussion, and keyboards (2008–2012)

Former members

  • Clive Barnes – bass guitar (1978–1979)
  • Andy "Billy Jug" Hoare – drums (1978–1981)
  • Ric Gadsby – bass guitar (1979)
  • Martin Baker – drums (1981)
  • Norman Butler – keyboards (1981–1984)
  • Virus – drums (1981–1985; deceased 2015)
  • Jenghiz – keyboards (1984)
  • George Fletcher – keyboards (1984–1986)
  • Robert "Spider" Richards – drums (1985–1987)
  • Andy Wiggins – keyboards (1986–1987)

Studio albums

EPs

Live albums

  • V živo (1986)

Compilation albums

Singles

  • "Winter" (1983, 7", Spiderleg Records)
  • "Knights of the Black Sun" (2011)

Demos

  • Amebix (1979, self-issued)
  • Right to Ride (1987, self-issued)

External links

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