Antisect
| Company type | Punk rock group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1982 in Daventry, England |
| Headquarters | London , England |
Area served | United Kingdom, Europe, United States, Russia |
Key people | Pete Lyons (founding member) |
| Products | Punk rock music albums and live performances |
Antisect is a punk rock group originating from London, known for their fusion of hardcore/anarcho-punk and metal influences. Established in Daventry in 1982, their initial album, In Darkness There Is No Choice (1984), along with the 1985 EP Out from the Void, played a pivotal role in shaping the hardcore punk genre by integrating gritty punk sounds with metallic elements.
Renowned for their focus on topics such as animal rights and social justice, they appealed to a politically aware punk demographic. During the 1980s, they were prominent figures within the squat venue circuit and embarked on extensive tours throughout the UK and Europe. Following their split in 1987, Antisect reassembled in 2011.
Career
Antisect originated with a rapid D-beat hardcore punk approach, sharing tours with the influential band Discharge before embracing a more pronounced anarchist political ideology. Their first album, released through Spiderleg Records in January 1984, attained the No. 3 position on the UK Indie Chart. The 1985 release "Out from the Void" reached No. 2 on the Indie singles chart.
Although the band experienced numerous personnel changes, a darker follow-up album titled Welcome to the New Dark Ages remained unfinished; several tracks surfaced later on live recordings. Challenges related to their lifestyle contributed to their disbandment in 1987.
Reforming in May 2011 with founding members Pete Lyons and Pete Boyce alongside new musicians, they appeared at Finland's Puntala-Rock Festival. This was followed by tours across the UK, Europe, and the United States, as well as a limited "Tour Only" single featuring unreleased and re-recorded material.
Lineup changes persisted: Pete Boyce exited in 2012; Tim Andrews departed in 2013 after introducing politically charged visual backdrops at Roadburn Festival; vocalist Chris Caps joined but left in 2016 together with Laurence Windle, coinciding with John Bryson's return.
After Pete Lyons underwent emergency heart surgery in 2013, the band resumed live performances at major festivals such as Ieperfest and Stockholm's Manglet Festival, expanded into Russia, and continued developing their long-awaited second LP.
In April 2016, the refreshed lineup performed a semi-private show in Umea, Sweden. Later that year in November, Pete Lyons delivered the keynote address at the Punk Scholars Network Symposium.
On 1 January 2017, Antisect premiered the track "Black" on YouTube. By August 2017, they had signed with Rise Above Records to release their album The Rising of the Lights.
In September 2024, Rise Above Records reissued their debut LP featuring remastered sound from original master tapes along with a photo booklet and liner notes authored by Pete Lyons.
Current members
- Pete Lyons – guitar/vocals
- Jason Coppock – bass/vocals
- Joe Burwood – drums/vocals
The Rising of the Lights members
- Pete Lyons – guitar/vocals
- John Bryson – bass/vocals
- Joe Burwood – drums/vocals
2014–2015 members
- Chris Caps – vocals
- Pete Lyons – guitar
- Laurence Windle – bass
- Joe Burwood – drums
2011–2013 members
- Tim Andrews – vocals
- Pete Lyons – guitar
- Laurence Windle – bass
- Joe Burwood – drums
- Pete Boyce – vocals (2011–2012)
1987 break-up members
- Pete Lyons – guitar
- Pete Paluskiewicz – drums
- Laurence Windle – bass
- Tim Andrews – vocals
Members of 'Out from the Void'
- John Bryson – bass and vocals
- Pete Lyons – guitar and vocals
- Pete Paluskiewicz – drums
Lineup for 'In Darkness...'
- Pete Lyons – guitar
- Pete Paluskiewicz – drums
- Renusze Rokicki – bass
- Pete Boyce – vocals
- Rich Hill – vocals
- Caroline Wallis – vocals
Original founding lineup
- Pete Lyons – guitar
- Pete Paluskiewicz – drums
- Renusze Rokicki – bass
- Pete Boyce – vocals
Discography
- In Darkness there is No Choice – LP, 1984
- Out from the Void – EP, 1985
- Hallo There How's Life – live album, 1991
- Peace is Better than a Place in History – live album, 1993
- Leeds 02.04.86 – live album, 2010
- 4 Minutes Past Midnight/Out from the Void (Part 2) – Tour 10" release
- The Rising of the Lights – LP, 2017 (Rise Above Records)
- Live in Sweden – CD, 2018 (Incendiary Music)