Fall 1990. The streets of NYC are a bleak and barren wasteland for the few punx left to roam the streets in search of a scene that has long since disappeared. Long after it’s glory days in the early 1980s, the global punk scene by 1990 had all but died. In it’s place had sprung the benign sounds of grunge, east bay pop and metal crossover played by long haired college poets, crusty squatters and other hippie miscreants. While the rest of the world seemed content enough to rot in the mire of stale post-metal and college puke, a small scene of spiky haired drunk punx in NYC set out on a mission to return punk rock to it’s glorious roots. The Casualties were born!
Casualties Time Line:
1990: Jorge-vocals, Colin-vocals, Mark-bass, Yureesh-drums, Hank-guitar First demo is recorded. Rachel from the Rivits fills in on second vocals for a few months while Colin is away at school.
1991: Jorge-vocals, Colin-vocals, Mark-bass, Yureesh-drums, Fred-guitar Hank leaves the band, replaced by Fred on guitar. Their first studio recording "Political Sin" is recorded for the "Benefit for Beer" compilation. Fred goes away to school and is replaced temporarily by Scott from C Squat. Scott leaves when Fred returns from school and joins the band full time. Hank comes back to join the band for a few shows then leaves the band for good. The debut "40 Ounce Casualty" ep is recorded in the Fall of '91. Steve distraught fills in on second guitar for a short time.
1992: Jorge-vocals, Colin-vocals, Mark-bass, Yureesh-drums, Fred-guitar Constant local gigging begins to earn the Casualties a huge local following in NYC and a reputation around the world...
1993: Jorge-vocals, Colin-vocals, Mike-bass, Yureesh-drums, Jake-guitar Fred and Mark leave the band and within a week are replaced by Jake and Mike.
1994: Jorge-vocals, Mike-bass, Shawn-drums, Jake-guitar "For the Punx" and "10 years too late" are recorded for the "Pogo Attack" compilation. The four-song "Drinking is our Way of Life" ep is recorded but not released until it appears on the Casualties "early years 1990-1995" CD in 1999. Colin and Yureesh leave the band, Shawn joins on drums.
1995: Jorge-vocals, Mike-bass, Meggers-drums, Jake-guitar The "Fuckin' Way of Life" ep is recorded. Shawn leaves the band, replaced by Meggers from the Rivits on drums
1996: Jorge-vocals, Mike-bass, Meggers-drums, Jake-guitar The Casualties are the first American band to appear at the legendary "Holidays in the Sun" Festival in London.
1997: Jorge-vocals, Mike-bass, Meggers-drums, Jake-guitar The Casualties reach a new level of popularity with their new line-up, the release of their debut "For the Punx" album and their first American tour with the Varukers.
1998: Jorge-vocals, Jon-bass, Meggers-drums, Jake-guitar Mike leaves the band, replaced by Jon from the Krays on bass. Their 2nd album "Underground Army" is released. Jon leaves the band during the "Underground Army" European tour. Dave Punk Core fills in on bass from late '98 to Spring '99.
1999: Jorge-vocals, Rick-bass, Meggers-drums, Jake-guitar Dave leaves the band, Rick from the Manix is recruited on bass. The Casualties embark on their third successful world tour. The "Early Years 1990-1995" album, a compilation of rare early recordings is released.
2000: Jorge-vocals, Rick-bass, Meggers-drums, Jake-guitar The Casualties reach yet another peak in popularity with their fourth World tour beginning in March in Europe and ending in August in the USA and with the release of their "Who's in Control?" ep and their third album "Stay Out of Order".
2001: Jorge-vocals, Rick-bass, Meggers-drums, Jake-guitar 11 years on and stronger than ever, the Casualties release their fourth studio album "Die Hards" to rave reviews. Another full US tour, including two weeks on the Vans Warped Tour and ending up the Summer tour at the first American Holidays in the Sun tour amongst legends such as the Exploited, GBH, Cockney Rejects, Slaughter & the Dogs & more. The story continues.......!
Discography:
1991: "Political Sin" appears on "A Benefit for Beer" compilation 7" on Swill Records (Public Nuisance's label) Other bands who appear on the record are Public Nuisance, the Deviators and Jesus Chrust. Two different covers (approximately 1000 of each) exist.
1992: The four track "40 Ounce Casualty" ep is self released by the band. Two different full color covers are made (approximately 100 of each), one by Jorge and Colin, the other by Mark and Yureesh. For the other 800 copies, black and white covers featuring the now-infamous artwork by Yureesh are made by Jake upon joining the band. Approximately 100 copies were pressed on pink vinyl.
1994: "For the Punx" and "25 years too late" appear on the "Pogo Attack" compilation LP on Pogo Stick Records. Other bands who appear on the record are Blanks '77, the Pist, Distraught, Banner of Hope, Mankind, Wretched Ones, Dysfunctional Youth, the Bristles and the Vomit Punx. Later re-issued on CD by Nasty Vinyl in Germany.
1995: "A Fuckin' Way of Life" ep is released on Eyeball Records. Approximately 2000 copies pressed.
1997: "For the Punx" the debut LP/CD is released on Tribal War Records. Appoximately 200 test pressing "record release party" LP's are made for the record release party show. Appoximately 2000 copies were pressed on red vinyl and approximately 2000 on blue vinyl.
1998: "Underground Army" the 2nd full length LP/CD is released on Tribal War Records.
1999: "Underground Army" is re-issued on Punk Core Records. 2000 copies were pressed on blue splatter vinyl and included a full color record jacket, full color inner sleeve and free poster. "The Early Years 1990-1995" LP/CD is released on Punk Core. 2000 copies are pressed, 500 on green splatter vinyl with full color record jacket, full color inner sleeve and free poster.
"The Early Years 1990-1995" is released, which includes all tracks recorded within the first five years of the band's existence, with several unreleased tracks including the previously unreleased "Drinking is our Way of Life" ep and original 1990 demo.
2000: "Who's in Control?", the bands first new ep in five years is released on Punk Core. 1000 copies were pressed on black vinyl, 1000 on purple splatter. CD version included four bonus tracks recorded live at the Gas Station in NYC in 1995 including one previously unreleased song "ammunition". "Stay Out of Order", the Casualties third full length LP/CD is released on Punk Core.
"Stay Out of Order", the band's third full-length studio album is released on Punk Core. CD contains live video tracks from the band's performance at the Whisky A Go Go show from 1999, as well as a hidden bonus track, a cover of the Exploited's "dead cities". 2000 LP's were pressed, the first two hundred on red vinyl, 800 on yellow vinyl and 1000 on black vinyl. "For The Punx", the band's debut album is re-pressed on Punk Core
2001: "Die Hards" is released on Side 1 Dummy records. Thought by many to be their best album in years, the band's fourth studio album is released to rave reviews. Limited green vinyl and red vinyl are pressed.
