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Siege (band)

From Alfawiki
Siege
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1981 in Weymouth, Massachusetts, United States
Defunct1985 (initial disbandment), 1992 (final disbandment)
FateDisbanded (1985), Reunited (1991–1992), Reunion performances (2016–2023)
Headquarters
Weymouth
,
United States
ProductsHardcore punk music, grindcore, powerviolence

Siege was a hardcore punk group originating from Weymouth, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1981, they were part of the Boston hardcore movement between 1984 and 1985, with a brief reunion occurring in 1991. Between 2016 and 2023, drummer Rob Williams and guitarist Kurt Habelt spearheaded reunion performances.

The original ensemble featured a blend of extremely rapid rhythms paired with the intense shrieks and growls delivered by vocalist Kevin Mahoney. Although initially obscure, the band later achieved significant acclaim among enthusiasts of punk and heavy metal across the globe. They are now recognized as foundational figures in the development of the grindcore and powerviolence genres.

Formation and initial phase (1981–1984)

The members began collaborating musically during their teenage years in Weymouth, starting in 1981. Guitarist Kurt Habelt, bassist Hank McNamee, and drummer Rob Williams rehearsed casually before finalizing Siege’s definitive lineup in 1983 by incorporating vocalist and occasional saxophonist Kevin Mahoney from nearby Braintree.

Classifying themselves within the "second wave" of punk, their influences included hardcore punk and the new wave of British heavy metal, striving to surpass their predecessors in speed. Siege's debut official performance took place at a Battle of the Bands event in early 1984 at Weymouth North High School, where they were disqualified due to profanity and McNamee destroying his bass guitar on stage.

Radiobeat recordings and disbandment (1984–1985)

On February 6, 1984, Siege recorded a six-track demo at Radiobeat Records located in Kenmore Square. The sessions were produced by Lou Giordano, who had previously worked with Hüsker Dü, Negative FX, SS Decontrol, among others. This demo later became widely bootlegged. In October 1984, the band returned to Radiobeat with Giordano to record three more songs for Pushead’s 1985 hardcore compilation Cleanse the Bacteria. These three tracks represent Siege’s sole official original release.

Giordano shared his thoughts about the sessions:

<poem>Our studio's approach was to record any incoming music without judgment. Although I wasn’t personally inclined toward their style, I recognized their musicianship—necessary to maintain such high speeds. They pushed boundaries; it sounded like chaos hurtling at incredible speed before suddenly aligning perfectly. Moreover, they were among the most modest and easygoing clients I’ve encountered—polite and appreciative. Then when they amplified their sound, it was astonishing that such noise could emanate from them.</poem>

Despite being based near Boston, Siege did not associate with Boston’s straight edge hardcore scene dominated by crews. Instead, they mainly performed across Western Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Their shows often featured local hardcore acts like DYS, Cancerous Growth, The Freeze, B.I.U., Outpatients, and Deep Wound at venues in Greenfield (MA), Providence (RI), and Stamford (CT).

In 1985, Siege planned their inaugural New York City concert at CBGB alongside The Necros; however, the group dissolved shortly afterward due to Mahoney’s absence.

Reunion (1991–1992)

Siege briefly regrouped in 1991, with Seth Putnam of Anal Cunt stepping in for Mahoney as vocalist. They laid down a four-track demo, which is now thought to be lost due to damage to the original master recordings. Following their initial performance in April 1992, McNamee departed and was succeeded by Alex Smith. The group’s final concert occurred alongside Sloppy Seconds and Toe Tag before they disbanded in August 1992. Williams later characterized this lineup as a "false-start" reunion.

Post-breakup and legacy

Although Siege's total output amounted to only around 20 minutes of music and their live shows were limited to the New England region, their influence has been substantial. Their contributions to the Cleanse the Bacteria compilation reached a broad audience, including Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, who described them as the fastest band he had encountered. Several pioneering acts within 1980s death metal and grindcore scenes—such as British bands Carcass and Napalm Death—have acknowledged Siege as a significant inspiration. Their demo became a highly coveted bootleg among collectors.

In 1994, Relapse Records officially released Siege’s demo alongside compilation tracks on the Drop Dead CD. The same collection was reissued on 12-inch vinyl by Deep Six Records in 2004. Further reissues by Deep Six in 2006 and 2009 featured three additional songs—"Two-Faced," "Trained To Kill," and "Questions Behind The Wall"—recorded during Radiobeat sessions.

The recordings from 1991 remained unreleased for many years. The track "Cameras" surfaced on the 2004 compilation LP 13 Bands Who Think You're Gay. In 2014, three other tracks—"Death & Taxes," "New World Order," and "Disregard"—were rediscovered on cassette and subsequently issued as the "Lost Session '91" 7-inch by PATAC Records.

Williams continued his musical pursuits by forming Nightstick, a band that occasionally included Putnam and Habelt. Additionally, Williams and Mahoney collaborated in The Spoils, releasing ...To the Victor in 2007. Putnam passed away from an apparent heart attack on July 11, 2011, while Mahoney died on October 14, 2011, following complications from diabetes.

Williams has performed Siege songs live with Providence’s Dropdead, including at Maryland Death Fest in 2014. Their February 2015 concert in Cambridge, Massachusetts was promoted as their final live collaboration.

Live performances (2016–2023)

In 2016, Williams and Habelt formed a live lineup to perform classic Siege material featuring vocalist Mark Fields; guitarist/bassist Chris Leamy, known for leading Brian Famine and playing with Japanese Torture Comedy Hour; and Ben Barnett from Dropdead. Their first appearance took place in Providence supporting headliners Infest. Subsequent shows incorporated guest saxophonists such as John Zorn, Ernie Kim, Marty Phillips, and John “Westy” Weston. Highlights included a 2022 Boston show at the Midway Cafe and an appearance at London’s Chimpyfest. The group concluded their live activities with performances in New York and Los Angeles during 2023.

Covers

  • Napalm Death recorded "Walls" during their second John Peel session and covered "Conform" on Leaders Not Followers: Part 2.
  • Disrupt performed "Cold War" on their 1992 live EP Smash Divisions.
  • Witch Hunt covered "Conform" on Crucial Chaos Sessions.
  • Lycanthrophy included a cover of "Conform" on their split release with Say Why.
  • Anal Cunt incorporated segments of "New World Order" into a Siege medley on their album Morbid Florist (1993).
  • Exhumed covered "Drop Dead" for the compilation Garbage Daze Re-Regurgitated.
  • Williams’s sludge metal project Nightstick reinterpreted "New World Order" as "The Pentagon" in 1998.
  • Mr. Bungle performed "Cold War" during tours in both 1995 and 2023.
  • Ripcord covered "Starvation" on the Harvest Hardcore EP and performed a live rendition of "Walls" featuring Lee Dorian.
  • Intense Degree recorded "Conform" for the Manic Ears compilation North Atlantic Noise Attack.
  • Heresy recorded a version of "Conform" during sessions for Face Up To It!; this outtake appeared on their discography CD Voice Your Opinion.
  • Rat Lord released a cover of "Starvation" as a B-side in 2021.
  • Water Torture covered "Walls" on their split release with Corrupt Bastards.
  • Pillage recorded "Starvation" for their demo 7-inch released in 2013.
  • Voltifobia covered "Drop Dead" on a split tape shared with Agathocles.
  • Extreme Smoke 57 included a cover of "Conform" on their first split 7-inch alongside The Sexorcist in 1991.

Band members

Original lineup
  • Kurt Habelt – guitar (1981–1985, 1991–1992, 2016–2023)
  • Rob Williams – drums (1981–1985, 1991–1992, 2016–2023)
  • Hank McNamee – bass (1981–1985, 1991–1992)
  • Kevin Mahoney – vocals, saxophone (1983–1985; deceased 2011)
Subsequent members
  • Seth Putnam – vocals (1991–1992; deceased 2011)
  • Alex Smith – bass (1992)
  • Mark Fields – vocals (2016–2023)
  • Chris Leamy – guitar (2016–2017), bass (2017–2023)
  • Paul Kraynak – bass (2016–2017)
  • Ben Barnett – guitar (2018–2023)
Timeline


Discography

Demo recordings
  • Drop Dead (1984) (cassette, independently released)
Studio albums
  • Drop Dead (1994) (CD, Relapse Records) (Includes 1984 demo and tracks from the Cleanse the Bacteria compilation)
Extended plays
  • Lost Session '91 (2014) (7-inch vinyl, PATAC Records)
Compilation contributions
  • Cleanse the Bacteria (1985) (12-inch, Pusmort Records) (Features three songs: "Sad But True", "Cold War", "Walls")
  • 13 Bands Who Think You're Gay (2004) (12-inch, Menace to Sobriety Records) (Includes one track: "Cameras")

External links

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