UNNATURAL AXE
UNNATURAL FACTS*
It is 1977. A scruffy neighborhood of Boston sprouts a band of naive working-class
kids who think they can shake up the world with their personal take on the punk rock
experience. Not content, or possibly even competent enough, to be another Jam clone
or a Clash clone, Unnatural Axe bash out their own brand of two-chord and three-chord
rock, and crank it up extra high.
Throughout 1978 and 1979 the Axe were playing regularly in New York, and at Cantone's,
the Rat, and the Space in Boston as the opening act for the "big" UK and US new wave
acts of the time. Their strangest billing must have been opening for The Police at
the Rat in Kenmore Square. It is truly unfortunate that Sting squandered this "turning
point" opportunity to learn the essentials of punk rock from Boston's finest. Sting's
only question of the Axe vocalist: "Did you poop?"
But such is the fate for the greatest moments of brilliance of our times: few people
recognize it. The big club owners didn't see it and the major record labels didn't
hear it. After two short years, the Axe packed it in.
As a result, the Unnatural Axe discography is small, but what recordings do exist
provide the documented proof that the Axe were, and shall always remain, the most
important punk band Boston will ever call its own.
— Monsieur Michel Bastarache (Boston's punk rock gentleman)
* The name of the Unnatural Axe's fanclub newletter
ORIGINAL LINE-UP:
Rich Parsons: Vocals, guitar
Tom White: Guitar
Frank Dehler: Bass
Dom Deyoun: Drums
EARLY DISCOGRAPHY:
• 1978: They Saved Hitler's Brain/The Plug/Summertime/The Creeper EP
(Varulven 87-66 — 500 copies, all issued with picture sleeve)
• 1979: "3 Chord Rock" track on the Boston Bootleg compilation LP
(Varulven 2, rubber stamped white jacket)
• 1982: The Man I Don't Want To Be b/w They Saved Hitler's Brain 7in.
(Varulven VAR 16, not issued in PS, but Taang made sleeves for their copies)
• 1990: 3 Chord Rock/Tonight We Fight/Axeman 7in. EP
(Varulven NR 18220)
CONTACT: Break My Face