Rambo (stylized on-screen as R.a.m.b.o.) were an American punk rock band based in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. The band identified with the

straight edge Straight edge (sometimes abbreviated sXe or signified by XXX or X) is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs, in reaction to the excesses of punk subculture. For some, thi ...

anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not neces ...

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Di ...

, crust punk, cyclist and

thrashcore Thrashcore (also known as fastcore) is a fast-tempo subgenre of hardcore punk that emerged in the early 1980s. Thrashcore is essentially sped-up hardcore, often using blast beats. Songs can be very brief, and thrashcore is in many ways a less d ...

movements. Known for hectic live performances, the band toured extensively in the United States, Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia, including several sections of the latter continent previously unvisited by touring Western rock bands.

History

R.A.M.B.O. was formed in 1999 by singer Tony Croasdale (known as Tony Pointless), guitarist Andy Wheeler, bassist Beau Brendley and drummer Jeremy Gewertz, the latter two of whom played in Philadelphia-based hardcore band Kill The Man Who Questions. Croasdale was known in the city's punk rock scene for his involvement with the underground venue Stalag 13, and would later co-run a summer music fest that became unofficially known as the Pointless Fest. Initially, the group performed in camouflage face paint and military fatigue, but following the events of

9/11 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...

, ceased this policy in fear of its presenting "the wrong" (i.e., a pro-American militancy) message. In 2000, Brendley and Gewertz left the group. Gewertz would go on to play with

An Albatross An Albatross is a noise rock band based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. History Formed in the fall of 1999 by guitarist Jake Lisowski, vocalist Edward B. Gieda III, drummer Chris Abbott, bassist Jason Hudak, and organist Phillip Reynolds Price, ...

, Brendley with El Toro de Oro. They were replaced by Bull Gervasi (formerly of Policy Of Three) and Todd Hoffman (of Virginia Black Lung and the Fighting Dogs), respectively; the lineup was rounded out by second guitarist John Robinson (a former member of Good Clean Fun). Artist Mike Bukowski soon started being considered a member of the band in the capacity of "propagandist" and relating to the group as did Gee Vaucher to

Crass Crass were an English art collective and punk rock band formed in Epping, Essex in 1977, who promoted anarchism as a political ideology, a way of life, and a resistance movement. Crass popularised the anarcho-punk movement of the punk s ...

. Robinson, Hoffman, and Bukowski would go on to leave the group one by one, leaving Croasdale, Wheeler, Gervasi, and drummer Dave Rosenstrauss (along with Mick Brochu, a part-time live guitarist) as the group's final lineup before disbanding in 2007. R.A.M.B.O. produced two full-lengths; ''Wall of Death the System'', on the

625 Thrashcore Max Ward, occasionally playing under the moniker of Hirax Max, is an American power violence and thrashcore musician, playing for such bands as Spazz, Plutocracy, Capitalist Casualties, What Happens Next?, Bombs of Death, and Scholastic Deth. ...

label, and ''Bring It!'', on Havoc Records. The band was also known for its unrelenting and widespread touring, as well as its theatrical live shows featuring many cardboard props depicting humorous-yet-political scenarios based around their anarcho-syndicalist convictions. According to a band interview conducted in May 2021, the band is working a new album scheduled for late 2021/early 2022.

Discography

Tapes

*"No Circle Pits in Heaven" (self-released)

EPs

*Split 7" with Crucial Unit – (Ed Walters Records) *Split 7" with

Caustic Christ Caustic Christ was an American crusty hardcore punk band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. They were on Havoc Records. The band is composed of vocalist GenEric Christ, guitarist Bill Christ, bassist Mistaken Ukla Von Upenstien, and d ...

– ( Busted Heads Records / Havoc Records)

Albums

*''Wall of Death the System'' (

, 2001) *''Bring It!'' (Havoc Records, 2005)

References

External links

R.A.M.B.O.
on Myspace
Havoc Records625 ThrashcoreRAMBO: Have Faith in the Youth, This Generation is Poised to Stir Some Shit Up (2021 Interview)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rambo American crust and d-beat groups Hardcore punk groups from Pennsylvania Straight edge groups