Adrenalin O.D. was an American

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...

band from

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

that existed from 1981 to 1990. They were best known for playing fast-paced music accompanied with humorous lyrics.

History

Adrenalin O.D. formed in October 1981, from the demise of late 1970s punk band The East Paterson Boys Choir. A.O.D.'s first recordings saw release on the widely distributed ''

New York Thrash ''New York Thrash'' is a hardcore punk compilation album released by ROIR in 1982. Considered a definitive document of the early New York hardcore and late 1970s punk scene, ''New York Thrash'' features rare and otherwise unreleased recordings, ...

'' cassette compilation released on

ROIR ROIR (pronounced "roar"), or Reachout International Records, is a New York City-based independent record label founded in 1979 by Neil Cooper. Background ROIR was founded the same year that the Sony Walkman launched, and initially, the label ex ...

cassettes in 1982. The compilation also featured the first recordings of the

Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...

, as well as prominent New York City

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

bands like

Kraut ''Kraut'' is a German language, German word recorded in English from 1918 onwards as an List of terms used for Germans, ethnic slur for a German, particularly a German soldier during World War I and World War II. Its earlier meaning in English wa ...

and the Washington DC band

Bad Brains Bad Brains are an American punk rock band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1976. They are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this term to describe their music. They are also an ade ...

. The comedic and speedy "Paul's Not Home" became a

college radio Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produced ...

hit. A.O.D.'s first vinyl release, a six-song ( EP) entitled ''Let's Barbeque'', was released on their own Buy Our Records label. Because the budget was so tight, the band could only afford 15 minutes of studio time. They recorded all six tracks in one take with no overdubs. Buy Our Records became one of New Jersey's largest indie punk labels and springboarded the careers of many bands including

Flag of Democracy Flag of Democracy, sometimes abbreviated as F.O.D., is an American hardcore punk band formed in 1982 and originally from Ambler, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. In November 1982, the band played their first show, opening for Minor Thre ...

Raging Slab Raging Slab is an American rock music, rock band that plays a blend of southern rock and Boogie rock, boogie with influences from Heavy metal music, metal and Punk rock, punk. They released six albums between 1987 and 2002. History The group ...

, and

Pussy Galore Pussy Galore is a fictional character in the 1959 Ian Fleming James Bond novel '' Goldfinger'' and the 1964 film of the same name. In the film, she is played by Honor Blackman. The character returns in the 2015 Bond continuation novel '' Tri ...

. Adrenalin O.D.'s first album entitled ''The Wacky Hijinks of Adrenalin O.D.'' showcased the band's use of blazing speed-punk and sarcastic lyrics, taking aim at the suburban experience with songs like "Middle Aged Whore", "Trans Am" (the inspiration for the

Dead Milkmen The Dead Milkmen is an American punk rock band formed in 1983 in Philadelphia. Their original lineup consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Rodney Linderman ("Rodney Anonymous"), guitarist and vocalist Joe Genaro ("Joe Jack Talcum"), bassist Dav ...

's "Bitchin' Camaro"), and the crowd favorite "Rock n' Roll Gas Station". The album contains an untitled and blatantly obvious backmasked track. When played backwards, it is the band members saying in unison; "God is very, very nice. Be kind to animals. Satan sucks." The band turned down offers from virtually every major metal label looking to market the band to the emerging thrash metal crowds, maintaining that even though their songs had a metallic edge they were a punk band. Some of the songs on '' HumungousFungusAmongus'' are the fastest hardcore tracks ever recorded. Adrenalin O.D. toured nationally and created a loyal following via their live shows (described by some as an experience somewhere between

Minor Threat Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Washington, D.C., by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Brian Baker and guita ...

and

Don Rickles Donald Jay Rickles (May 8, 1926 – April 6, 2017) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He was known primarily for his insult comedy. His film roles include ''Run Silent, Run Deep (film), Run Silent, Run Deep'' (1958), ''Enter Laughing ...

.) The band's quick wit and on-stage banter was at times as much of an improv stand-up comedy act as a hardcore punk band, and fans coined the term "funny-punk" to describe their performances. Tracks that exhibit the band's quirky sense of humor include a

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

cover of

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flutist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Awards, ...

's "Baby Elephant Walk", a

surf rock Surf music (also known as surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is inst ...

version of " Hava Nagila" entitled "Surfin' Jew", and a track entitled "Masterpiece" which is a punk reworking of

Jean-Joseph Mouret Jean-Joseph Mouret (11 April 1682 in Avignon – 10 December 1738 in Charenton-le-Pont) was a French composer whose dramatic works made him one of the leading exponents of Baroque music in his country. Even though most of his works are rarely per ...

's ''

Fanfare-Rondeau The Suite of Symphonies for brass, strings & timpani No. 1 (Suite De Symphonies, Première Suite de Symphonies) is a composition by Jean-Joseph Mouret. The first movement of this piece, the Rondo, rondeau, is widely known and commonly used in weddi ...

'' from ''Symphonies and Fanfares for the King's Supper'' (which the band knew only as the theme from the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

TV series ''

Masterpiece Theatre ''Masterpiece'' (formerly known as ''Masterpiece Theatre'') is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH Boston. It premiered on PBS on January 10, 1971. The series has presented numerous acclaimed British productions. Many of these ...

''). In response to the question, "Favorite Monster?", asked in a 1984 interview with ''Flesh'' ''and'' ''Bones'' magazine, Richard answered "Dave Scott;" Steeples answered "Paul Richard's Mom;" Wingate answered "Godzilla;" and Scott answered "Linda Blair (Excorcist)." By their third release ''Cruising With Elvis in Bigfoot's UFO'', the band brought in producer

Daniel Rey Daniel Rey (born Daniel Rabinowitz) is an American musician, record producer and songwriter from New York City, best known for his work with the punk rock band Ramones. As a teenager Rey played in punk band Shrapnel, which also featured Dave Wy ...

to help the band's translation from hyper-speed to mid-tempo melodic punk. With songs like "Bulimic Food Fight", and "My Mother Can't Drive", both ''Stereo Review Magazine'' and ''Decibel Magazine'' ranked the album among the funniest records of all time. Their last release ''Ishtar'' produced by Andy Shernoff

Dictators A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute Power (social and political), power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a polity. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to r ...

for Restless/Enigma Records saw the band starting to lose their momentum and interest. Ishtar was over budget and only available for a short time before the label folded. Bands that have cited Adrenalin O.D. as a major influence include

NOFX NOFX () was an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. Bassist/lead vocalist Fat Mike, rhythm guitarist Eric Melvin and drummer Erik Sandin were original founding and longest-serving members of the band, who have appeared on every ...

Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...

Screeching Weasel Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band consisting of Ben Weasel (vocals), Mike Kennerty (guitar), Mike Hunchback (guitar), Zach "Poutine" Brandner (bass) and Pierre Marche (drums) founded in 1986 by Ben Weasel and John Pierson (music ...

Bouncing Souls The Bouncing Souls are an American punk rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 1989. By the time of their acknowledgment by the national punk rock scene, they had reignited a "pogo" element to New Jersey punk rock by playing fast li ...

, Night Birds,

Municipal Waste Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage in the United States and rubbish in Britain, is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. "Garbage" can also refer specifically to food waste, a ...

Darkthrone Darkthrone is a Norwegian black metal band hailing from Kolbotn, Akershus. Formed in 1986 as a death metal band named Black Death, in 1991, Darkthrone transitioned to a black metal style influenced by Bathory (band), Bathory and Celtic Frost and ...

, and S.O.D.

Post-breakup

After parting ways with Adrenalin O.D. in 1986, Jack Steeples took over the guitar duties for Mental Decay. Mental Decay recorded and released three 7"s ("Mental Decay", "Elvis Demilo", and "Walking Stick") plus two cuts with the Headache Records compilation with Steeples on guitar. He left Mental Decay in 1995 and "cleaned up." He rejoined Mental Decay again for a short time in 1996 to record and play a number shows. In December 1995, Steeples took over bass duties and rejoined his friend and Adrenalin O.D. frontman Paul Richard in the Kowalskis. Steeples' first show with the Kowalskis would be opening for

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...

. Fronted by Kitty Kowalski, the Kowalskis released a single and an album on the Blackout record label. Band members Bruce Wingate and Wayne Garcia went on to form a three-man band

Bruce Wayne Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. In t ...

in tribute to both of their first names and the

secret identity A secret identity is a person's code name, cryptonym, disguise, incognito, Cover (intelligence gathering), cover and/or alter ego which is not known to the general populace, most often used in fiction. Brought into popular culture by the Scarlet Pi ...

of comic book hero

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

. In the mid-1990s Wingate was the musical director for two tours by cult figure Harvey Sid Fisher. He has continued to write and record as the frontman for many groups, including The International Brunch Mummies, Shyster Shyster & Flywheel, New Reagans, The Earls Of Sandwich, and the TXT PSTLZ (text pistols). He also formed a joke-techno band called Total Dick which progressed and renamed itself to District Allstarz. Original guitarist Jim Foster was a founding member of

Electric Frankenstein Electric Frankenstein is an American garage punk revival band from New Jersey, founded by Sal Canzonieri in 1990. The band relocated to North Carolina in 2021. Their style is a mixture of punk rock, hard rock, garage rock, glam, and heavy metal ...

in 1991. Drummer Dave Scott spent three years with the ill-fated New Jersey "supergroup" Scrooge (later Grimelord) with members of Genocide and Niblick Henbane, before going on to Atlantic Recording artists Lucy's Trance. He later relocated to Florida and has played in The Hybrids, November Charlie, The F-Pipes and The Rondos. He also managed Nutrajet featuring Greg Reinel. Adrenalin O.D. has reunited several times, including a benefit for

CBGB's CBGB was a New York City music club opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal in the East Village in Manhattan, New York City. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters ''CBGB'' were for ''Country, Bluegrass, Blue ...

, along with

The Dead Boys The Dead Boys are an American punk rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. The band was among the first wave of punk, and regarded by many as one of the rowdiest and most violent groups of the era. They were formed by vocalist Stiv Bators, rhythm gu ...

Peter and the Test Tube Babies Peter and the Test Tube Babies are an English punk rock band, formed in Peacehaven, Sussex in 1978, by Derek "Strangefish" Greening and Peter Bywaters. Due to their humorous tongue-in-cheek lyrics, they have been considered part of the Punk p ...

, and Flipper in August 2005. In 1999, they reunited to record the 31-second track "Your Kung Fu Is Old...and Now You Must Die!!!" for the compilation CD ''

Short Music For Short People Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known a ...

''. In February 2013,

Jack White John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975) is an American musician who achieved international fame as the guitarist and lead singer of the rock duo the White Stripes. As the White Stripes disbanded, he sought success with his solo career, subse ...

and

Gibby Haynes Gibson Jerome Haynes (born September 30, 1957) is an American musician, radio personality, painter, author and the lead singer of the band Butthole Surfers. Early life and career Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Gibby Haynes is the son of acto ...

collaborated on a cover of Adrenalin O.D.'s song "Paul's Not Home" for Jack White's

Third Man Records Third Man Records is an eclectic, vinyl-focused independent record label founded and owned by Jack White, Ben Blackwell, and Ben Swank. The company operates out of three locations—Nashville, Detroit, and Soho in London—with multiple entitie ...

label. The band is referenced in the video for "Milwaukee" by

The Both The Both is an American indie rock musical duo consisting of Aimee Mann and Ted Leo. They began collaborating in 2013 and released a self-titled album in April 2014. Origins The songwriting collaboration between Aimee Mann and Ted Leo originat ...

, wherein

Ted Leo Theodore Francis Leo (born September 11, 1970) is an American singer and musician. He is the frontman and lead guitarist of the rock group Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and in 2013, he and Aimee Mann formed the indie rock duo The Both. Earl ...

plays both himself and his fictional uncle Ed Leo, who reportedly played drums for Adrenalin O.D. In 2022, DiWulf Publishing released David Scott Schwartzman's book, "If It's Tuesday This Must Be Walla Walla: The Wacky History of Adrenalin O.D." chronicling the early history of the band. As part of the book release, AOD reunited and played two shows in November 2022.

Members

The band's original line-up was as follows: * Paul Richard – guitar, vocals (1981–1990, 1999, 2005, 2007) * Jim Foster – guitar (1981–1983) * Jack Steeples – bass guitar (1981–1986, 1999, 2005, 2007) * Dave Scott (Schwartzman) – drums (1981–1990, 1999, 2005, 2007) Later members of the band included: * Bruce Wingate – guitar (1984–1990, 1999, 2005, 2007) * Keith Hartel – bass (1987–1989) * Ed Leo – drums (exact timeline unknown) * Wayne Garcia – bass guitar (1989–1990)

Discography

Albums

* '' The Wacky Hi-Jinks of Adrenalin O.D.'' (1984) * '' HumungousFungusAmongus'' (1986) * '' Cruising With Elvis in Bigfoot's UFO'' (1988) * ''Ishtar'' (1990) * ''Phat and Old'' Live On WFMU (1996)

Singles/EPs

* ''Let's Barbeque'' E.P. ( Buy Our Records, 1983) * ''Caught in the Act''

split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enter ...

7" with Bedlam (1984) * ''Nice Song in the Key of D'' 7" (Buy Our Records 005, 1986) * ''The Band That Wouldn't Leave'' EP (1986) * ''Theme From an Imaginary Midget Western'' (1988) * ''Sentimental Abuse'' ( Headache Records, 1996)

Compilation albums

* ''Sittin' Pretty'' (1995) * ''A.O.D. Themes'' – rare and unreleased demos 1981–1982 (2001)

Compilation appearances

*''

'' cassette (

, 1981) *''New Jersey's Got It?'' (Buy Our Records, 1985) *''Rat Music for Rat People, Vol. 3'' ( CD Presents, 1987) *

(

Fat Wreck Chords Fat Wreck Chords (pronounced "Fat Records") is an independent record label based in San Francisco focused on punk rock. It was started by NOFX lead singer Michael Burkett (better known as Fat Mike) and his wife at the time, Erin Burkett in 1990. ...

, 1999)

References

External links

Adrenalin OD interview
printed in '' Flipside'' No. 55 (1988) {{Authority control Hardcore punk groups from New Jersey Punk rock groups from New Jersey Musical groups established in 1981 Musical groups disestablished in 1990 Musical groups reestablished in 1999 Musical groups reestablished in 2005 Musical groups reestablished in 2007 Musical quartets from New Jersey Relapse Records artists ROIR artists Restless Records artists Musical groups from Bergen County, New Jersey