Born Against was an American hardcore punk band from New York City, that was active between 1989 and 1993. Though Born Against received little media exposure while still together, they have since been described as "legendary" by the Chicago Reader and the LA Weekly.
History
Born Against was founded in early 1989 by vocalist Sam McPheeters, guitarist Adam Nathanson, bassist Neil Burke, and drummer John Guzman. Guzman was soon replaced during early rehearsals by a drummer named George, whos tenure was also brief, being replaced by Nigel Schreiber after a single show in July 1989. This lineup recorded a demo cassette in late 1989, as well as a track for the Murders Among Uscompilation album, released on McPheeters' Vermiform Records label in 1990. Burke and Schreiber went on to leave the band later that year. Throughout their existence, Born Against would continue to be plagued by rhythm section fluctuation.
In March 1990, the band reemerged with bassist Javier Villegas and drummer Darryl Kahan. They issued their first two vinyl releases, Eulogy (whose anti-religious title track was dedicated to Steve Reddy of Equal Vision Records) and a self-titledEP, along with several compilation tracks. Later that year, Kahan was replaced by drummer John Hiltz, birthing the longest lasting incarnation of the band. Born Against toured extensively, releasing their debut studio album, Nine Patriotic Hymns For Children, on Vermiform in 1991. Villegas left the band in late 1991 and was replaced by bassist Bret Blue.
With Hiltz and Blue, Born Against continued their extensive touring, including a trip to Europe. By this point, the band's aggressive political message and related critique of their contemporaries had attracted media attention, and they endured animosity in New York City and beyond. They began working on a new album, which was stalled in July 1992 when Hiltz decided to leave the band. Recording would eventually continue in December of that year, and the final sessions that produced the resultant 1993 10-inch, Battle Hymns of The Race War, featured Melissa York on drums. However, York never performed live with the band.
By early 1993, Nathanson and McPheeters had relocated to Jersey City, New Jersey, beginning a new version of the band with bassist Tonie Joy (of Moss Icon and Universal Order of Armageddon) and drummer Brooks Headley (also from Universal Order of Armageddon). Although only extant for seven months, this was a prolific incarnation, as they continued to tour and released split records with Screeching Weasel (in which both bands swapped lyrics) and Universal Order of Armageddon. Their radical leftist stance became increasingly drenched in cynicism, which slowly threatened to overtake their message; the results of this evolution are evidenced in the nonsense song "Lillian" and other non-sequitur pieces from this time. Their final release was a split 8-inch record with Man Is the Bastard. In July 1993, Born Against played their final show.
Post-breakup releases
Two posthumousCDs containing the entire Born Against catalog (aside from their demo tape) have since been released. 1994's Patriotic Battle Hymns (featuring Nine Patriotic Hymns For Children and Battle Hymns Of The Race War) and 1995's The Rebel Sound Of Shit And Failure (featuring all other material). Initially released on the now-defunct Vermiform, these records have since been taken on by the Kill Rock Stars and Prank Records imprints.
↑Glasper, Ian (2013). ARMED WITH ANGER: HOW UK PUNK SURVIVED THE NINETIES (Kindleed.). London: Cherry Red Books. p.246. ISBN1901447723. With Mark bringing some indie-rock influences and both Simon and Allan worshipping Born Against and Nation Of Ulysses, not to mention Heroin and Moss Icon, early Bob Tilton was far removed from the more fragile sounds the band evolved towards and nothing really like Slant or Fugazi, the two bands to which BT are most often likened.
