Adrenalin O.D. was an American

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...

band from

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

that existed from 1981 to 1990. They are best known for playing extremely fast music accompanied by 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 Cassette may refer to: Technology * Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback ** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in th ...

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, as well as prominent

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

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 word recorded in English from 1918 onwards as an ethnic slur for a German, particularly a German soldier during World War I and World War II. Its earlier meaning in English was as a synonym for sauerkraut, a traditional Cen ...

and the Washington DC band

Bad Brains Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Originally a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power, they are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this t ...

. The comedic and speedy "Paul's Not Home" became a college radio 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 Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Gaming *Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies *Indie game, any game (board ...

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 Thr ...

Raging Slab Raging Slab is an American band that plays a blend of southern rock and boogie with influences from metal and punk. They released six albums between 1987 and 2002. History The group formed in 1983 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 ''Trigg ...

. 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'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 guitar ...

and

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

.) 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 cover of

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

's "Baby Elephant Walk", a surf rock version of "

Hava Nagila Hava Nagila ( he, הָבָה נָגִילָה, ''Hāvā Nāgīlā'', "Let us rejoice") is a Jewish folk song. It is traditionally sung at celebrations, such as weddings. Written in 1918, it quickly spread through the Jewish diaspora. History ...

" 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 – 22 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 rondeau, is widely known and commonly used in weddings, ...

" 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 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) on January 10, 1971. The series has presented numerous acclaimed Briti ...

''). 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 Wyn ...

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 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, Anthrax,

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). Screeching Weasel is originally from the Chicago subur ...

Bouncing Souls The Bouncing Souls are an American punk 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 light-he ...

, 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, 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. 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 appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

in tribute to both of their first names and the

secret identity A secret identity is a person's alter ego which is not known to the general populace, most often used in fiction. Brought into popular culture by the Scarlet Pimpernel in 1903, the concept was widespread in pulp heroes and is particularly prevalen ...

of comic book hero Batman. 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. 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 Manhattan's East Village. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters ''CBGB'' were for '' Country'', '' BlueGrass'', and '' Blues'', Kri ...

, along with

The Dead Boys The Dead Boys are an American punk rock band from Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. ...

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

, 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 Music for Short People'' is a 1999 compilation album released on the Fat Wreck Chords record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Somet ...

''. In February 2013,

Jack White John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975), commonly known as Jack White, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the duo the White Stripes. White has enjoyed consistent critical and popular success and is widely c ...

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 actor ...

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, Tennessee, Detroit, Michigan, and Soho, London—with ...

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

The Both The Both was 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 origin ...

, wherein

Ted Leo Theodore Francis Leo 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. Early life Born in South Bend, I ...

plays both himself and his fictional uncle Ed Leo, who reportedly played drums for Adrenalin O.D.

Members

The band's original line-up was as follows: * Paul Richard - guitar,

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

(1981-1990, 1999, 2005, 2007) * Jim Foster -

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

(1981-1983) * Jack Steeples -

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

(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, entertai ...

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 David Ferguson was an American international outsider-culture impresario, activist, music producer and concert promoter. Over his career, most of which has been spent on the West Coast, he worked with musical acts such as the Avengers, John L ...

, 1987) *

(

Fat Wreck Chords Fat Wreck Chords (pronounced "Fat Records") is a San Francisco, California-based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by NOFX lead singer Michael Burkett (better known as Fat Mike) in 1990. The label has released mater ...

, 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 Relapse Records artists ROIR artists Restless Records artists