Massacre (experimental band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1980 in New York City, United States |
| Founder | Fred Frith, Bill Laswell, Fred Maher |
| Defunct | 2008 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | United States, Europe |
Key people | Fred Frith, Bill Laswell, Fred Maher, Charles Hayward |
| Products | Studio and live albums |
Massacre originated in 1980 in New York City, formed by guitarist Fred Frith, bassist Bill Laswell, and drummer Fred Maher. The trio specialized in improvised and experimental rock music. Their live performances spanned just over a year, during which they recorded their studio album Killing Time (1981). In 1998, Frith and Laswell revived Massacre with drummer Charles Hayward, resulting in four additional albums: Funny Valentine (1998), Meltdown (2001), Lonely Heart (2007), and Love Me Tender (2013). The latter three albums were live recordings captured at various European festivals between 1999 and 2008.[1]
The BBC characterized Massacre as "an unholy union of The Shadows, Captain Beefheart, Derek Bailey, and Funkadelic."[2]
History
Following the dissolution of the English avant-rock band Henry Cow, guitarist Fred Frith relocated to New York City in 1979. There, he collaborated with bassist Bill Laswell and drummer Fred Maher, both members of the jazz group Material. In 1980, Frith established Massacre as a power trio to support Peter Blegvad’s Valentine’s Day performance at Soundscape in New York.[3][4] The group rapidly gained recognition within the city's music circuit.[5]
Massacre’s sound was a fusion of vigorous experimental rock with free-form rhythm and tone manipulation, incorporating improvisational jazz influences to evoke the primal spirit of early rock and roll.[5] Frith described the band as "a very aggressive group" that responded to the New York rock environment by focusing on a raw, loud, and energetic style.[6]</ref>
Their concerts featured a blend of composed and improvised pieces, typically brief yet consistently powerful.[3] The band toured both the United States and Europe during 1980–81, earning favorable reviews at progressive rock venues, particularly in France.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
In 1981, Massacre released their only studio album, Killing Time, which included tracks recorded at Martin Bisi’s Brooklyn studio alongside live recordings from Paris. Additionally, members contributed to Frith’s solo project Speechless. The group disbanded after concluding performances at Manhattan's Inroads in July 1981 following Maher’s departure.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
By 1983, the remaining members had joined The Golden Palominos, a band led by drummer Anton Fier. A performance reminiscent of Massacre took place in Boston in 1985 when Frith, Laswell, and Fier performed as a trio, playing material from Killing Time. This ensemble also appeared in Tokyo.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Massacre was reassembled in 1998 with Hayward stepping in for Maher on drums. This formation produced one studio album, Funny Valentine, which was based on improvised sessions, along with three live albums: Meltdown (recorded at London’s 2001 Meltdown Festival), Lonely Heart (captured during shows in Paris and Denmark in 2003), and Love Me Tender (documenting performances from 1999 to 2008). All releases were issued through John Zorn’s Tzadik Records.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Members
- Fred Frith – guitar, Casio keyboard, radio, vocals, World War II pilot's throat microphone
- Bill Laswell – bass guitars (4 and 6 strings), pocket trumpet
- Fred Maher (1980–1981) – drums and percussion
- Charles Hayward (1998–2008) – drums, vocals, melodica
Discography
- Killing Time (1981, LP, Celluloid Records, France)
- Funny Valentine (1998, CD, Tzadik Records, United States)
- Meltdown (2001, CD, Tzadik Records, United States)
- Lonely Heart (2007, CD, Tzadik Records, United States)
- Love Me Tender (2013, CD, Tzadik Records, United States)
In 1993, Killing Time was reissued on CD by RecRec Music, featuring six additional tracks including one from Frith's Speechless.
Fred Frith remastered and re-released Killing Time in 2005 through his label Fred Records, incorporating two previously unreleased recordings: "Third Street" and "F.B.I." (live in Paris, 1981). This version corrected the original speed and pitch while omitting added reverb.
External links
- FredFrith.com archive – Archived biography of Fred Frith
- The Tech – "Two Against One" concert coverage
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