Nausea (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Defunct | 1992 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Music (crust punk) |
| Website | www |
Nausea was a crust punk band originating from New York City, active between 1985 and 1992. They are acknowledged as a pioneering group within the initial wave of crust punk.
Prior to forming Nausea, guitarist Victor Dominicis was involved with hardcore punk outfits Hellbent and Sacrilege. The band emerged from the squatter community in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Their initial sound, featuring vocalists Amy Miret and Neil Robinson, was heavily influenced by hardcore punk. Following Robinson's departure, Al Long took over vocal duties, steering the band toward a darker sound with stronger metal elements. Robinson subsequently created Jesus Crust and Final Warning and established Tribal War Records.
Lyrics and musical style
Nausea's lyrics and visual art conveyed apocalyptic themes centered on political and social issues relevant during their era, including critiques of the Reagan Administration, tensions of the US-USSR Cold War, and nuclear warfare anxieties. Their subject matter also encompassed environmental concerns, human extinction risks, pollution, and animal rights activism.
Musically, Nausea transitioned from a Discharge-inspired hardcore punk approach to a heavier, more metallic style under Al Long’s vocals, drawing parallels to UK bands such as Amebix and Axegrinder. They were instrumental in shaping aspects of the crust punk genre by integrating elements from doom metal, d-beat, noise rock, and sludge metal. Bassist John John Jesse identified key influences like Discharge, Black Sabbath, Slayer, and Pink Floyd.
The band's founding members drew inspiration from Crass’s politically charged messages, incorporating themes of feminism, anti-racism, class struggle, and anti-war sentiment into their songwriting.
Later lineup
The final roster of Nausea consisted of John John Jesse on bass, Victor Dominicis (also known as Victor Venom) on guitar—formerly of Reagan Youth—Amy Miret and Al Long sharing vocal responsibilities, and Roy Mayorga on drums.
John John Jesse later developed a career as an artist and collaborated with members of Choking Victim in the band Morning Glory.
Drummer Roy Mayorga went on to perform with Shelter, Soulfly, Maggott SS, ABLOOM, and Stone Sour. In 2006 he temporarily replaced Igor Cavalera in Sepultura, became a full-time member of Amebix during their 2008 reunion until 2012, and toured with Ministry in 2016.
Popular culture
In the Jackie Chan movie Rumble in the Bronx, a punk character is seen wearing a leather jacket featuring 'Nausea' spray-painted across the back.
Members
- Al "Hoon" Long – vocals (1988–1992)
- Amy Miret – vocals
- Victor "Vic Venom" Dominicis – guitar
- John John Jesse – bass
- Roy Mayorga – drums (1989–1992)
Former members
- Brian Patton – drums (1985)
- Neil Robinson – vocals (1985–1988)
- Pablo Jacobson – drums (1985–1987)
- Jimmy Williams – drums (1987–1988)
Official releases
- Nausea demo (independently issued, 1988)
- Extinction LP/Cassette (1990, Profane Existence/Meantime Records)
- Cybergod 7" (Allied Recordings, 1991)
- Lie Cycle 7" (Graven Image/Skuld Records, 1992)
- Alive in Holland VHS (Channel Zero Reality/Profane Existence, 1993)
- Extinction: The Second Coming CD (Selfless Records, 1993)
- The Punk Terrorist Anthology Vol. 1 2xLP/CD (2004, Alternative Tentacles/Blacknoise Records)
- The Punk Terrorist Anthology Vol. 2 2xLP/CD (2005, Hellbent/Blacknoise)
Compilation appearances
- New York Hardcore: The Way It Is LP (Revelation Records, 1988)
- Squat or Rot Volume. 1 7" (Squat or Rot Records, 1989)
- They Don't Get Paid, They Don't Get Laid, But Boy Do They Work Hard LP (Maximum Rock'n'Roll, 1989)
- Murders Among Us 7" (Vermiform Records, 1990)
- More Songs About Plants and Trees 7" (Allied, 1991)
- Discharged: From Home Front to War Front 7" (Allied, 1992)