Phobia (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Phobia


Img_capt = Phobia circa 2007.
Img_size =
Landscape =
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Orange County, California
Los Angeles, California
Genre = Crust punk
Crustgrind
Grindcore
Deathgrind
Years_active = 1990-Present
Label = Willowtip Records
Relapse Records
Slap-a-Ham Records

Associated_acts = Exhumed
Dekapitator
Final Conflict
Jesu
Impaled
Thornlord
Intronaut
Uphill Battle
Morbosidad
Gridlink
Murder Construct
URL = [http://phobiagrind.net/ Official Website]
Current_members = Shane Mclachlan
Steve Burda
Leon del Muerte
Danny Walker
Past_members = Shawn Bryan
John Haddad
Matt Mills
Luis Perez
Marco Soriano
Bruce Reeves
Raymond Banda

Phobia are a band from Orange County, California. The band was formed in 1990 and is heavily influenced by crust punk and grindcore. Unlike many death/grind bands, Phobia focus mainly on socio-political issues and left wing politics, rather than gore, sex, and other sexual/violent taboos.

History

The band was formed in 1990, recording the "What Went Wrong?" demo soon after they formed.

The band followed up with the "All That Remains" 7" E.P., released on Relapse Records. In 1994 Phobia released the "Return to Desolation" CD/E.P. and went on a small west coast tour with well-known hardcore punk bands, such as Capitalist Casualties. In 1997 Slap-a-Ham Records released the "Enslaved" 7" E.P. and went on yet another west coast tour.

Phobia's first full length record entitled "Means of Existence" was released by Slap a Ham in 1998 as they embarked on a full U.S. tour.

In 1999 the band recorded a split with the Japanese band Corrupted (band) on Rhetoric Records as well as the CD/E.P. "Destroying the Masses". 1999 also brought the bands first European tour, going on for a lengthy two months, playing countries like Belgium, Germany, Austria, Scotland and Holland.

In 2001 the band toured with Anarchus in Mexico.

After returning from Mexico, the band released their "Serenity Through Pain" CD/E.P. on Deathvomit Records.

Yet again, the band toured the U.S. with labelmates Circle of Dead Children on the Grind Your Fucking Head In tour. September 2001 brought another west coast tour with melodic death metal band, Darkest Hour.

2002 brought another tour to support their Serenity Through Pain and also re-issue of Return to Desolation. The band toured the west coast yet again with Pungent Stench, returned to Europe in May 2003, and released the "Grind Your Fucking Head In" CD.

In 2006, the group released the album "Cruel".

2008 will see the release of the band's most brutal offering to date, "22 Random Acts of Violence."

Members

Current:
*Shane MacLachlan - Vocals
*Steve Burda - Guitar
*Leon del Muerte - Bass
*Danny Walker - Drums

Former:
*Shawn Bryan
*John Haddad - Drums
*Matt Mills - Drums
*Luis Perez
*Marco Soriano
*Bruce Reeves - Bass
*Raymond Banda - Drums
*Raymond Herrera - Drums
*Phil Martinez (Dystopia, Mange)) - Drums
*Todd Kiessling (Dystopia) - Bass

Discography

*"What Went Wrong?" (Self Produced, 1990)
*"All That Remains" (Relapse Records, 1992)
*"Return to Desolation" (Relapse Records, 1993)
*"Plutocracy / Phobia Split" (Misanthropics Records, 1994)
*"Enslaved" (Slap-a-Ham Records, 1997)
*"Means of Existence" (Slap-a-Ham Records, 1998)
*"Corrupted / Phobia Split" (Rhetoric Records, 1999)
*"Destroying the Masses" (Pessimiser/Theologian Records, 1999)
*"Serenity Through Pain" (Deathvomit/Deep Six Records, 2001)
*"Phobia/Resist & Exist Split" (Ohev/Profane Existence Records, 2002)
*"Grind Your Fucking Head In" (Deep Six Records, 2003)
*"Get Up & Kill" (Deep Six Records, 2004)
*"Relapse Singles Series Compilation Vol.4" (Relapse Records, 2004)
*"Another Four Years of Murder" (Crimes Against Humanity Records, 2006)
*"Cruel" (Willowtip/Deepsix Records, 2006)
*"22 Random Acts of Violence" (Willowtip/Deepix, 2008) "unreleased"

Trivia

*Raymond Herrera of the industrial metal band Fear Factory did session drums on "Return to Desolation".

External links

* [http://www.lambgoat.com/features/interviews/phobia.aspx Interview w/Shane at Lambgoat.com]