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Anal Cunt, also known as AxCx and A.C., was an American
grindcore Grindcore is an extreme fusion genre of heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, extreme metal, and industrial. G ...
band that formed in
Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately west of downtown Boston. Newton resembles a patchwork of thirteen villages, without a city center. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of Ne ...
, in 1988. From its inception, the band underwent a number of line-up changes and never had a bass player. The band, known for its flippant and noisy musical style as well as controversial lyrics, released eight full-length studio albums in addition to a number of compilations and extended plays. Anal Cunt disbanded in 2011 after the group's founder and frontman,
Seth Putnam Seth Edward Putnam (May 15, 1968 – June 11, 2011) was an American musician who was the founder, vocalist and occasional guitarist of grindcore band Anal Cunt. He was known for his high-pitched screamed vocals and lyrics that either shock, of ...
, died of a suspected heart attack. The band is often referred to by their initials A.C. (often written as AxCx) due to the offensive nature of their name and censorship limits on some radio and publications, and many of their album covers simply display the initials A.C. However, the band managed to subvert even this abbreviation by drawing these letters in a manner resembling an
anus The anus (Latin, 'ring' or 'circle') is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, the residual semi-solid waste that remains after food digestion, which, d ...
and a
vulva The vulva (plural: vulvas or vulvae; derived from Latin for wrapper or covering) consists of the external sex organ, female sex organs. The vulva includes the mons pubis (or mons veneris), labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, bulb of vestibu ...
. The group's early material contained no pre-written lyrics or music. Rather, the band developed an entirely improvised style which consisted of extremely loud, fast, and aggressive noise. Over time, the band gradually shifted their style and slowly began to incorporate more riffs and pre-written lyrics into their songs. It was not until then that Anal Cunt had earned the reputation for intentionally being outrageous and
offensive Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...
. 2010 and 2011 saw the release of their final two albums; one of which is a "
cock rock Cock rock is a genre of rock music that emphasizes an aggressive form of male sexuality. The style developed in the later 1960s, came to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s, and continues into the present day. Characteristics Cock rock is a m ...
" album entitled ''
Fuckin' A ''Fuckin' A'' is the eighth and final full-length album by American grindcore band Anal Cunt. It was released digitally on August 10, 2010, and then physically on January 11, 2011. The album is intended to be a parody of "cock rock" bands such ...
'', and another being an album of material similar to their old grindcore albums called ''Wearing Out Our Welcome''.


History


Formation (1988)

Anal Cunt was founded on March 1, 1988 in
Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately west of downtown Boston. Newton resembles a patchwork of thirteen villages, without a city center. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of Ne ...
(a city adjacent to Boston) by
Seth Putnam Seth Edward Putnam (May 15, 1968 – June 11, 2011) was an American musician who was the founder, vocalist and occasional guitarist of grindcore band Anal Cunt. He was known for his high-pitched screamed vocals and lyrics that either shock, of ...
, who had previously been a member of bands such as
Executioner An executioner, also known as a hangman or headsman, is an official who executes a sentence of capital punishment on a legally condemned person. Scope and job The executioner was usually presented with a warrant authorising or order ...
and Satan's Warriors. The name Anal Cunt came from Putnam's attempt "to get the most offensive, stupid, dumb, etc. name possible". A common misconception is that the band is named after the song "Anal Cunt" by
GG Allin Kevin Michael "GG" Allin (born Jesus Christ Allin; August 29, 1956 – June 28, 1993) was an American punk rock musician who performed and recorded with many groups during his career. Allin was best known for his controversial live performances ...
,Torreano, Bradley. AC Biographyat
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
but in fact Allin's song was written years after the band had started. The band did, however, later in their career render tribute to him by recording a version of "I'll Slice Your Fucking Throat (If You Fuck with Me)", originally recorded by Allin and
the Murder Junkies The Murder Junkies are an American punk rock band, best known for having been GG Allin's final backing band before his death. They perform songs from Allin's back catalog as well as their own original material. They are the third GG Allin bac ...
. In ''Q'' magazine's 2005 book ''The Greatest
Rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
& Pop Miscellany Ever!'', Anal Cunt was included in a list of "25 Band Names That Should Have Stayed on the Drawing Board". Putnam originally formed the band as a joke, and they were supposed to only record one demo and do one show; however, they were active up to 2011, despite several brief break-ups. Originally, the band was to produce a form of 'anti-music', without
rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular recu ...
, beats, riffs, lyrics, song titles or any other of the normal features of a band, an approach exemplified by the ''5643 Song EP''.


Early performances and recordings and brief breakup (1988–1992)

The band's first performance was a rehearsal in 1988 at Putnam's mother's house in front of some family members, namely his mother, his two little brothers and his grandmother, as well as some of his mother's friends. Several other small performances followed, in various basements and living rooms, before their first public show live over the radio at
Brandeis University , mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = NECHE , president = Ronald D. Liebowitz , pro ...
, with Anal Cunt being the latest in the long line of Putnam's bands who had performed in this way. This was scheduled to be the band's first and last show. Putnam invited future member Fred Ordonez, from the band Shit Scum, to the show, but he failed to turn up. As a result, it was arranged for the two bands (Anal Cunt and Shit Scum) to play a concert together so Ordonez could see Putnam's band, and a further show was arranged at Shit Scum's rented practice warehouse. The first demo was recorded on a four-track in April in his mother's attic but this has never been mixed, released, or heard by anyone outside of the band members themselves. After a few more shows, the band decided to attempt a U.S. tour, in August 1988, a few days before which they recorded their ''47 Song Demo'', which was later re-released on a compilation of the bands' material from the early years. They recorded their ''
88 Song EP 88 may refer to: * 88 (number) * one of the years 88 BC, AD 88, 1888 CE, 1988 CE, 2088 CE, etc. * "88", a song by Sum 41 from '' Chuck'' * "88", a song by The Cool Kids from ''The Bake Sale'' * The 88, an American indie rock band * ''The 88'' ...
'' later that year and after its release, a number of record labels started showing interest in the band, including
Earache Records Earache Records is a British independent record label, music publisher and management company founded by Digby Pearson in 1985, based in Nottingham, England, with offices in London and New York. The label helped to pioneer extreme metal by rel ...
, with whom they would later sign a contract. A few releases later, Earache Records again made an offer to the band, this time to license the ''5643 Song EP'' for a European pressing (and later to buy the whole pressing), but Anal Cunt continued to turn down such offers. This was also the point where the band decided they had done as much as they could and decided to split up, after releasing Another EP and completing their first European tour. This tour was in April, and recordings from this tour are numerous, appearing on the compilations ''Fast Boston HC The Early Years'' and the bootlegs ''Harmonized Noise'' and the Anal Cunt/
Patareni Patareni are a hardcore punk, noise, and grindcore band from Zagreb, Croatia, formed in 1983. Owing to their formation at such an early date, they are considered to be one of the earliest grindcore bands. Their discography is extensive, consist ...
split. Following appearances in a few other bands, including (recently reformed) George H. Brown (a
blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...
act whose song "Foreplay with a Tree Shredder" would later be recorded by Anal Cunt for the album ''
Top 40 Hits ''Top 40 Hits'' is the second full-length album by Anal Cunt, released in 1995 on CD and cassette by Earache Records. The cover of this album is a parody of the compilation albums released in the 1970s by TV advertising company K-Tel. The album ...
''), From Sloth to Anger, and Post Mortem, Seth Putnam and Tim Morse decided to reform Anal Cunt on March 1, 1991, exactly three years after they had initially formed. After the band's reformation, they decided they wanted to change their style to avoid getting bored again. The guitarist for the new, slightly more musical, Anal Cunt was originally supposed to be future member Paul Kraynak but ended up being Fred Ordonez, an ex-boxer. Some more EPs followed, including the world's first acoustic noisecore record, the ''Unplugged EP'', before Putnam finally decided to introduce some elements of "real songs" into the band's material. Seth Putnam and Tim Morse tried out this idea in a six-song session in 1992, just before Putnam successfully auditioned for the reformed
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 ...
band
Siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
, but it was a while before the plans were fully realized. Later that year, Anal Cunt decided on another European tour. Despite the fact that Tim Morse pulled out at the last minute, the tour still went ahead, with the band deciding to find a drummer while they were touring. The two drummers who auditioned were not fast enough for the band, so Anal Cunt decided to have them both playing the same drum kit at the same time for the beginning of the tour, before resorting to just using the faster of the two. Most of the shows consisted of Putnam and Ordonez going into the crowd, punching people and destroying equipment, not only because of drunkenness but to conceal the fact that the drummer did not know their songs very well. This was also the tour that saw Putnam joining
Fear of God Fear of God may refer to fear itself, but more often to a sense of awe, and submission to, a deity. People subscribing to popular monotheistic religions for instance, might fear Hell and divine judgment, or submit to God's omnipotence. Christian ...
on-stage as their drummer for one show and Putnam and Ordonez recording with ''Seven Minutes of Nausea''. On returning to the U.S., Anal Cunt decided to get a second guitarist who could carry on playing with the drummer during the violence and shouting. The choice was John Kozik, and with him came a new era of the band.


The Earache years (1993–2000)

Although Anal Cunt had released a lot of material, their records were mostly out of print and hard to find, so they got in contact with
Earache Records Earache Records is a British independent record label, music publisher and management company founded by Digby Pearson in 1985, based in Nottingham, England, with offices in London and New York. The label helped to pioneer extreme metal by rel ...
, which had previously shown an interest in the band. Anal Cunt wanted a label that would not only keep their records in stock but also pay for their tours, as the band at the time was operating essentially at a loss. Earache replied to Anal Cunt, asking to hear some new material. The band thereupon went into a studio in September to record what would later be released on
Relapse Records Relapse Records is an American independent record label based in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Matthew F. Jacobson in 1990. The label features many grindcore, death metal, metalcore and sludge metal artists. History The label was ...
as ''Morbid Florist''. Fred Ordonez briefly quit, but was invited to rejoin after unsuccessful searches for a replacement and Earache Records decided to sign them. Anal Cunt started recording their first album on the label, '' Everyone Should Be Killed'', in March 1993. Soon afterwards, Ordonez was kicked out of the band for good and was replaced by Paul Kraynak. Recording was put on hold for a short West Coast tour in mid-1993, after which Kraynak too quit the band. This was also the tour when Putnam got arrested for hitting a woman in the face with a microphone in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
during a show that, along with another show from earlier that year in Massachusetts, is documented on the EP ''
Breaking the Law "Breaking the Law" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, originally released on their 1980 album '' British Steel''. The song is one of the band's better known singles, and is readily recognized by its opening guitar riff. Com ...
''. After some searching for a replacement for Kraynak, Anal Cunt decided to just stick with one guitarist, John Kozik. Following the release of ''Everyone Should Be Killed'' in 1994, the band did more tours, one in Europe and one immediately afterwards in the United States. The European tour encompassed Germany, Belgium, Spain and Austria, and Anal Cunt were supported by W.B.I. and the Necrophiliacs; on the American tour, they were joined by
Incantation An incantation, a spell, a charm, an enchantment or a bewitchery, is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremo ...
, Morpheus Descends, Afterlife and Gutted. The transition from noise-style to fast-hardcore-style songs began in the fall of that year with the recording of their next album ''
Top 40 Hits ''Top 40 Hits'' is the second full-length album by Anal Cunt, released in 1995 on CD and cassette by Earache Records. The cover of this album is a parody of the compilation albums released in the 1970s by TV advertising company K-Tel. The album ...
'', which featured the single "
Stayin' Alive "Stayin' Alive" is a song written and performed by the Bee Gees from the ''Saturday Night Fever'' motion picture soundtrack. The song was released in 1977 as the second single from the ''Saturday Night Fever'' soundtrack. The band co-produced ...
(Oi! Version)". Anal Cunt toured America again, and in June toured Japan for the first time. After this, Kozik was replaced by Scott Hull, of
Pig Destroyer Pig Destroyer is an American grindcore band formed in 1997 in Alexandria, Virginia. The band was formed by vocalist J.R. Hayes, guitarist Scott Hull, and drummer John Evans. Throughout the band's earlier history, they were a three-piece group u ...
and
Agoraphobic Nosebleed Agoraphobic Nosebleed (abbreviated as ANb) is an American grindcore band formed in 1994 in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Its line-up has changed often over the years, with guitarist and drum programmer Scott Hull being the only cont ...
fame. With this line-up (or variations on it), the album ''
40 More Reasons to Hate Us Anal Cunt was an American grindcore band from Newton, Massachusetts. Formed in 1988, the discography of the group consists of eight studio albums, one live album, five compilation albums, eleven extended plays (EPs) and eight Split album, split E ...
'' was recorded.Torreano, Bradley. "40 More Reasons to Hate Us" – Overview
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
.
This album marked another change in the band's direction, with lyrics – and insults – being included in their songs for the first time. Another two-week long tour with
Eyehategod Eyehategod (also abbreviated and referred to as EHG) is an American sludge metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana who formed in 1988. They have become one of the better known bands to emerge from the NOLA metal scene. Their core lineup has re ...
followed, but Hull refused to tour and was temporarily replaced by a returning Kozik. After this tour, the band was again close to breaking up (for the second time), but instead decided to shuffle the line-up once more. The problem seemed to be with Tim Morse, so he was kicked out of the band. Seth Putnam was now the only surviving original member of Anal Cunt. The band was briefly on hiatus while Putnam put together a new line-up. The only thing they recorded during this time was the song "You're Gonna Need Someone On Your Side", for
the Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...
tribute album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...
''The World Still Won't Listen'', and the song "Two Turds and a Golf Ball" for the compilation CD of the same name, with Hull on guitar and Putnam performing drums and vocals. During this period, Putnam also did backing vocals for
Pantera Pantera () is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas formed in 1981, and currently comprised of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-kn ...
's '' The Great Southern Trendkill'' in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
, and lead vocals for an
Eyehategod Eyehategod (also abbreviated and referred to as EHG) is an American sludge metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana who formed in 1988. They have become one of the better known bands to emerge from the NOLA metal scene. Their core lineup has re ...
show. In January 1996, Putnam hired a new guitarist, Josh Martin. Martin was a student at
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...
in 1994–1995, when Anal Cunt used to play in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
a lot, and they had become good friends. Indeed, this was a friendship that would continue, as Putnam and Martin would join forces later in Adolf Satan and acoustic black-metal band Impaled Northern Moonforest. Martin moved to Boston following his graduation, and was appointed by Putnam as the new Anal Cunt guitarist. After trying out a lot of drummers, they hired Nate Linehan. Yet another tour followed, this time with Incantation and Mortician. Anal Cunt then released their next full-length release, ''I Like It When You Die'', which they had recorded prior to the tour. This album was essentially a collection of insults and featured the songs "You're Gay" and "Technology's Gay", as well as a guest appearance from Kyle Severn from Incantation. A lot of the songs refer to things being "
gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
", as this was a common slang word in
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
and in junior-high schools across the United States at the time. Following the tour, Linehan left the band and again activities were put on hold. Even so, Putnam and Martin recorded a few songs for a
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
tribute, ''In These Black Days Volume 1'', which was a split with Eyehategod and featured Putnam on drums. A few months later, Putnam and Martin asked Linehan to rejoin the band and he agreed. Another two tours later (the first in America with Murder One, the second in Japan), Anal Cunt recorded what would be their last album on Earache Records, ''
It Just Gets Worse ''It Just Gets Worse'' is the sixth album by the grindcore band Anal Cunt, released on November 9, 1999, on Earache Records. Recording information The album was recorded between August 1998 and August 1999 (except tracks 38 and 39 which were rec ...
'', which was released at the end of their 1999 European tour with Flächenbrand. The album was surrounded by much controversy: the label changed some of the song titles and also censored the lyrics to two of the songs. In May 2000, Anal Cunt were dropped from Earache Records due to distributor problems.


Second breakup, reformation, and 20th anniversary (2000–2009)

Despite being dropped by their label (although Earache did later make them an offer to come back, which they turned down) and Linehan leaving again in September 1999, Anal Cunt continued on, now with John Gillis on drums. Some more touring and a few releases followed, such as the ''Defenders of the Hate'' EP and a split 7-inch with Flachenbrand (who had opened for AC on their 1999 German tour). There was also a ''Defenders of the Hate'' tour in 2001, featuring two legs: one to California and back in June, and one to Texas and back in September. The band released a limited tour edition of the record as part of the tour. Anal Cunt issued an official press release at the end of December 2001 saying that they had broken up again. This time, the band seemed to have permanently disbanded, with only a few compilation tracks and the '' Very Rare Rehearsal from February 1989'' CD being released. During a show in 2000 in
Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...
,
Dropdead Dropdead is an American hardcore punk band based in Providence, Rhode Island. They have been active in the punk scene since 1991, having been formed in January of that year. The band's songs are generally short and very fast-paced, with few last ...
opened for Anal Cunt, but when Anal Cunt took the stage, Putnam began insulting Bob Otis from Dropdead, and eventually the audience, throwing out
racial slur The following is a list of ethnic slurs or ethnophaulisms or ethnic epithets that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given ethnicity or racial group or to refer to them in a derogatory, pejorative, or oth ...
s and performing
Nazi salute The Nazi salute, also known as the Hitler salute (german: link=no, Hitlergruß, , Hitler greeting, ; also called by the Nazi Party , 'German greeting', ), or the ''Sieg Heil'' salute, is a gesture that was used as a greeting in Nazi Germany. Th ...
s; Otis eventually got on stage and knocked Putnam off the stage, and a fight broke out. In March, 2003 they did 2 15 year anniversary shows. Mike Mahan came back on guitar but Florian Mahler played drums at those shows instead of original drummer Tim Morse. They did stuff from the 1988-1990 band period. Anal Cunt reformed in August 2003 with the lineup of Putnam, Martin and Linehan. However, after one practice, Martin was forced to leave the band, due to him going to jail. Putnam brought John Kozik back to replace him. After a few gigs in late 2003 (including one opening for
Superjoint Ritual Superjoint, formerly known as Superjoint Ritual, was an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band. History The band was formed by Phil Anselmo, Joe Fazzio, and Jimmy Bower in the early 1990s, later to be joined by Hank Williams III and Kevi ...
) and a short Japan tour in January 2004 with Napalm Death, Nasum, and Pig Destroyer, Linehan left the band yet again. He was again replaced by John Gillis. In October 2004, Putnam went into a coma for nearly a month as a result of a drug overdose. Initially reported as a sleeping pill overdose for legal reasons, he later claimed it was a combination of alcohol, crack,
heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...
, and a bottle of sleeping pills. Doctors thought that even if he survived, he would suffer permanent serious brain damage and were intending to "pull the plug", before Putnam's mother intervened. Even after coming out of the coma, Putnam was now paralyzed and had sustained severe nerve damage, needing months of physical therapy to recover. For the first show that Anal Cunt played following this coma (with
Eyehategod Eyehategod (also abbreviated and referred to as EHG) is an American sludge metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana who formed in 1988. They have become one of the better known bands to emerge from the NOLA metal scene. Their core lineup has re ...
), Putnam had to remain seated in a chair throughout. Putnam said he would continue to play songs such as "You're in a Coma" and had promised that the band would release new material. After a festival appearance in Norway in 2006, at which Putnam completely passed out on stage and was unconscious for the entire gig, both Kozik and Gillis quit the band. Martin (now out of jail) soon returned to the band and got Linehan to return as well. Anal Cunt released the '' Defenders of the Hate'' full-length CD in 2007, which featured bonus out-of-print tracks, such as those from the ''13 Bands Who Think You're Gay'' and ''Thrash of the Titans'' compilations, as well as the tracks from the '' split with Flächenbrand''. Other releases that had been promised included a sequel to ''
Picnic of Love ''Picnic of Love'' is the fifth album by Anal Cunt. It was released on July 21, 1998. The album was released as a joke and a parody of love songs, as well as of the band itself. The album is characterized by the opposite of everything that the ba ...
'' (''Picnic of Love II'') and an ''Anal Cunt/Gay Bar'' split, featuring unreleased Anal Cunt material from the Putnam/Martin/Linehan era on one side and a recording of Seth Putnam in a gay bar on the other. These albums were never recorded. The ''Defenders of the Hate'' re-release sparked another tour in March 2007 which included an appearance at the Los Angeles Murderfest Version 3.0 on March 24, 2007. with Accused, Brutal Truth, Pig Destroyer, and others, and a UK festival appearance later that year. 2008 was the 20th anniversary of the band, so Putnam celebrated it with several original lineup reunion shows with Tim Morse and Mike Mahan. By this point Linehan had yet again left the band, and Martin was again in jail. They played shows in Boston, Texas, and the West Coast. On November 17, 2008, the original Anal Cunt line-up (Seth Putnam, Mike Mahan, and Tim Morse) finished recording their ''110 Song CD''. The album was made as a celebration of the band's 20-year anniversary. The album's musical style is the same as Anal Cunt's early noisecore style. After the original lineup reunion was over, Morse decided to stay on as the permanent drummer. Martin also returned. In early 2009 the ''Old Stuff Part 3'' CD was released, featuring all the non-Earache tracks recorded by the Putnam, Martin and Linehan lineup in the 1990s. This sparked another round of touring. In 2009 AC played all over the US, plus a short tour of Norway in October. Also in 2009, Anal Cunt recorded their next two albums.


New material, Putnam's death, and permanent dissolution (2010–2011)

In April 2010, Putnam announced that the new album was almost completed. The album was delayed due to Josh Martin being in jail (for a third time). The lead guitar tracks were recorded when he was released. On May 11, 2010, Putnam announced that the band decided to split the new recording into two albums. The "
cock rock Cock rock is a genre of rock music that emphasizes an aggressive form of male sexuality. The style developed in the later 1960s, came to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s, and continues into the present day. Characteristics Cock rock is a m ...
songs" would be released on an album called ''
Fuckin' A ''Fuckin' A'' is the eighth and final full-length album by American grindcore band Anal Cunt. It was released digitally on August 10, 2010, and then physically on January 11, 2011. The album is intended to be a parody of "cock rock" bands such ...
'' in a style similar to that of
Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums ...
's debut ''
Too Fast for Love ''Too Fast for Love'' is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. The first edition of 900 copies was released on November 10, 1981, on the band's original label Leathür Records. Elektra Records signed the band the fol ...
'', and the
noisegrind Grindcore is an extreme fusion genre of heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, extreme metal, and industrial. ...
songs would be released on an album called ''Wearing Out Our Welcome'', which would also feature backing vocals from members of the Raunchous Brothers, Vaginal Jesus, and Mudoven. On June 22, 2010, Putnam completed ''Fuckin' A''. The songs "Fuck Yeah" and "Cranking My Band's Demo on a Box at the Beach" were released on Myspace Music. On June 24, 2010, Seth Putnam announced on the Anal Cunt Myspace blog that guitarist Josh Martin "is out of A.C.". Putnam continued by stating that the band would play and record as a two-piece outfit. ''Fuckin' A'' was released on January 11, 2011. At the same time, it was announced that Josh Martin was once again back in Anal Cunt, after only two shows performed as a two-piece. In April 2011 Anal Cunt embarked on what would be their final tour. The last show was on April 30, 2011, in Cleveland. On June 11, 2011, the band's frontman and founder Seth Putnam died of a suspected
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
, ending the band. A compilation CD of obscure Anal Cunt releases was announced in 2009 and was planned to be released by ''Wicked Sick Records'' (Seth Putnam's label). In October 2011 it was announced to be a two-CD set entitled ''The Old Testament''. It is a re-release of ''The Early Years 1988–1991'' with a new cover, liner notes penned by Putnam, the band's first demo (which was never before heard by anyone outside Anal Cunt and two girls that visited Putnam's house and were in the room when the recording was made), and tracks from Anal Cunt's final rehearsal session in 1991. It was released in November 2011 by Relapse Records. Former guitarist Josh Martin died on May 28, 2018, after accidentally falling off an escalator and hitting his head on a table at the
Providence Place Providence Place is an American shopping mall in Providence, Rhode Island. With of gross leasable area, it has been the largest shopping mall in Rhode Island since it opened in 1999. As of 2022, the mall is anchored by Macy's, and Boscov's, an ...
mall in Rhode Island.


Musical style and controversy

Anal Cunt has been categorized as
grindcore Grindcore is an extreme fusion genre of heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, extreme metal, and industrial. G ...
,Rivadavia, Eduardo.[] at Allmusic noisecore, Grindcore, noisegrind and Hardcore punk, hardcore.


Lyrics

Anal Cunt were often cited as having common lyrical themes that include
misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...
,
homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitude (psychology), attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, h ...
,
Nazism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...
,
antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
,
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
,
politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
, criticism of popular culture, and ridicule of the unfortunate, although this has not always been the case. Many of these songs included insults and/or targets, either general or specific to one person, examples including African Americans, Jewish people, homosexuals, foreigners, victims of
HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
, rape, suicide and/or child abuse, school students, musicians, actors, and the citizens of
Allston Allston is an officially recognized neighborhood within the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part ...
. The album ''I Like It When You Die'' developed the idea of containing insults in their songs, with a recurring song title being "''X'' Is Gay", with examples including "You're Gay", "Technology's Gay", "Recycling Is Gay", "The Internet Is Gay", "Windchimes Are Gay" and even "The Word 'Homophobic' Is Gay". Another recurring song title is "You ''X''", with examples including "You Own a Store", "You Live in a Houseboat", "You Are an Orphan", "You Go to Art School", and "You Keep a Diary". The band even parodied this theme with the songs "You (Fill in the Blank)" and "I'm in Anal Cunt". The 1999 album, ''
It Just Gets Worse ''It Just Gets Worse'' is the sixth album by the grindcore band Anal Cunt, released on November 9, 1999, on Earache Records. Recording information The album was recorded between August 1998 and August 1999 (except tracks 38 and 39 which were rec ...
'', took the idea of intentional offense a step further with more extreme examples of racism and sexism. Examples include "You're Pregnant So I Kicked You in the Stomach", "I Lit Your Baby on Fire" and "Women: Nature's Punching Bag". The lyrics to two of the songs on this album were altered, and one of the songs on this album had its name changed from "Conor Clapton Committed Suicide Because His Father Sucks" to "Your Kid Committed Suicide Because You Suck", because they were working for a record label in Britain, where
libel Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...
laws are very stringent. Another song on the album called " Easy E Got Aids from F Mercury" contains the lyrics "Now Freddie's dead and he's in heaven; at his wake you ate watermelon". It was also on ''It Just Gets Worse'' that the band began to include references to the
Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...
in their songs, including "I Sent Concentration Camp Footage to ''
America's Funniest Home Videos ''America's Funniest Home Videos'', also called ''America's Funniest Videos'' (abbreviated as ''AFV''), is an American video clip television series on American Broadcasting Company, ABC, based on the Japanese variety show ''Kato-chan Ken-chan Gok ...
''". This theme of seemingly glorifying
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
and his actions continued on their subsequent EPs, with songs such as "Hitler Was a Sensitive Man", "I'm Hitler", "Body by
Auschwitz Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...
", "I Went Back in Time and Voted for Hitler" and "Ha Ha Holocaust". Another common lyrical theme in the band's material was that of insulting other bands, or music in general. Such examples include the song titles " Rancid Sucks (and
The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...
Sucked Too)", "
Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by D ...
Think They're Black, but They're Just Gay", "Anyone Who Likes
the Dillinger Escape Plan The Dillinger Escape Plan was an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of odd time sign ...
Is a Faggot" and "
311 311 may refer to: * 311 (number), a natural number * AD 311, a year of the Julian calendar, in the fourth century AD * 311 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * 311 (band), an American band ** ''311'' (album), band 311's self-titled album ...
Sucks". Next to this offensive material, some of their other songs were deliberately much more light-hearted, which was done to
self-parody A self-parody is a parody of oneself or one's own work. As an artist accomplishes it by imitating their own characteristics, a self-parody is potentially difficult to distinguish from especially characteristic productions. Self-parody may be us ...
. This includes the satirical ''
Picnic of Love ''Picnic of Love'' is the fifth album by Anal Cunt. It was released on July 21, 1998. The album was released as a joke and a parody of love songs, as well as of the band itself. The album is characterized by the opposite of everything that the ba ...
'' album, and also covers of songs completely different from their style including " Can't Touch This", "
Stayin' Alive "Stayin' Alive" is a song written and performed by the Bee Gees from the ''Saturday Night Fever'' motion picture soundtrack. The song was released in 1977 as the second single from the ''Saturday Night Fever'' soundtrack. The band co-produced ...
", "
Escape Escape or Escaping may refer to: Computing * Escape character, in computing and telecommunication, a character which signifies that what follows takes an alternative interpretation ** Escape sequence, a series of characters used to trigger some so ...
", "
Electric Avenue Electric Avenue is a street in Brixton, London. Built in the 1880s, it was the first market street to be lit by electric lights (The first street to be lit by an incandescent lightbulb was Mosley Street, in Newcastle upon Tyne). Today, Electr ...
", "The Theme From ''
Three's Company ''Three's Company'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for eight seasons on ABC from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984. It is based on the British sitcom ''Man About the House''. The story revolves around three single roomma ...
''", " You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side", "
Hungry Hungry Hippos Hungry Hungry Hippos (or Hungry Hippos in some UK editions) is a tabletop game made for 2–4 players, produced by Hasbro, under the brand of its subsidiary, Milton Bradley. The idea for the game was published in 1967 by toy inventor Fred Krol ...
", and "
Just the Two of Us Just or JUST may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Just (surname) * Just (given name) Arts and entertainment * ''Just'', a 1998 album by Dave Lindholm * "Just" (song), a song by Radiohead * "Just", a song from the album ''Lost and Found'' by Mudvayne ...
", as well as their karaoke rendition of the
Steve Miller Band The Steve Miller Band is an American rock music, rock band formed in 1966 in San Francisco, California. The band is led by Steve Miller (musician), Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals. The group had a string of mid- to late-1970s hit singles t ...
song "
Abracadabra ''Abracadabra'' is a magic word, historically used as an incantation on amulets and common today in stage magic. Etymology ''Abracadabra'' is of unknown origin, but according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', its first known occurrence ...
" (intended to be a "cover" of " Sabbra Cadabra" by
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
). On their "Another E.P" 7 inch they covered "Goon" by Goon and Riverbottom Nightmare Band from The Muppets. They also played snippets of "Why Not Try Suicide" by P.T.L Klub and "Breakin' The Law" by Judas Priest.


Criticism

Critic Steve Huey called their album ''Morbid Florist'' "barely listenable". Seth Putnam admitted that they had sent material to publications they knew would hate it just to get bad reviews.Interview with AC members
(In Russian and English)


Band members


Final lineup

*
Seth Putnam Seth Edward Putnam (May 15, 1968 – June 11, 2011) was an American musician who was the founder, vocalist and occasional guitarist of grindcore band Anal Cunt. He was known for his high-pitched screamed vocals and lyrics that either shock, of ...
– vocals, guitars (1988–2001, 2003–2011; died 2011) *Tim Morse – drums (1988–1996, 2008–2011) *Josh Martin – guitars (1996–2001, 2006–2011; died 2018)


Previous members

*Mike Mahan – guitars (1988–1990, 1998, 2003, 2008) *Fred Ordonez – guitars (1991–1992, 1992–1993) *John Kozik – guitars (1992–1995, 2003–2006) *Paul Kraynak – guitars (1993, 1995) * Scott Hull – guitars (1995) *Nate Linehan – drums (1996–1999, 2003–2004, 2006–2007) *John Gillis – drums (1999–2001, 2004–2006) *Florian Mahler - drums (2003)


Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:0 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1988 till:06/11/2011 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors = id:Vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals id:Backing value:pink legend:Backing_vocals id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitars id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:Lines value:black legend:Studio_album Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1988 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1989 LineData = at:09/28/1993 color:black layer:back at:05/24/1994 color:black layer:back at:03/07/1995 color:black layer:back at:03/26/1996 color:black layer:back at:02/11/1997 color:black layer:back at:07/21/1998 color:black layer:back at:11/09/1999 color:black layer:back at:11/20/2008 color:black layer:back at:01/11/2011 color:black layer:back BarData = bar:Seth text:"Seth Putnam" bar:Mike text:"Mike Mahan" bar:Fred text:"Fred Ordonez" bar:JohnK text:"John Kozik" bar:Paul text:"Paul Kraynak" bar:Scott text:"Scott Hull" bar:Josh text:"Josh Martin" bar:Tim text:"Tim Morse" bar:Nate text:"Nate Linehan" bar:JohnG text:"John Gillis" PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Seth from:01/01/1988 till:04/20/1990 color:Vocals bar:Seth from:03/01/1991 till:12/31/2001 color:Vocals bar:Seth from:08/01/2003 till:06/11/2011 color:Vocals bar:Seth from:09/01/1992 till:02/11/1997 color:Guitar width:3 bar:Tim from:01/01/1988 till:04/20/1990 color:Drums bar:Tim from:03/01/1991 till:02/01/1996 color:Drums bar:Nate from:04/01/1996 till:12/01/1996 color:Drums bar:Nate from:04/15/1997 till:09/01/1999 color:Drums bar:JohnG from:11/01/1999 till:12/30/2001 color:Drums bar:Nate from:08/11/2003 till:01/15/2004 color:Drums bar:JohnG from:02/01/2004 till:07/01/2006 color:Drums bar:Nate from:08/01/2006 till:09/01/2007 color:Drums bar:Tim from:05/16/2008 till:06/11/2011 color:Drums bar:Tim from:01/01/2009 till:06/11/2011 color:Backing width:3 bar:Mike from:01/01/1988 till:04/20/1990 color:Guitar bar:Fred from:03/01/1991 till:09/01/1992 color:Guitar bar:JohnK from:05/01/1992 till:08/15/1995 color:Guitar bar:Fred from:11/01/1992 till:06/01/1993 color:Guitar bar:Paul from:06/01/1993 till:09/01/1993 color:Guitar bar:Scott from:08/15/1995 till:12/01/1995 color:Guitar bar:JohnK from:12/01/1995 till:12/31/1995 color:Guitar bar:Josh from:01/01/1996 till:12/31/2001 color:Guitar bar:Josh from:08/01/2003 till:10/01/2003 color:Guitar bar:JohnK from:10/02/2003 till:07/01/2006 color:Guitar bar:Josh from:07/01/2006 till:05/16/2008 color:Guitar bar:Mike from:05/16/2008 till:12/31/2008 color:Guitar bar:Josh from:01/01/2009 till:06/11/2011 color:Guitar bar:Josh from:01/01/2009 till:06/11/2011 color:Backing width:3


Discography

*'' Everyone Should Be Killed'' (1994) *''
Top 40 Hits ''Top 40 Hits'' is the second full-length album by Anal Cunt, released in 1995 on CD and cassette by Earache Records. The cover of this album is a parody of the compilation albums released in the 1970s by TV advertising company K-Tel. The album ...
'' (1995) *''40 More Reasons to Hate Us'' (1996) *''I Like It When You Die'' (1997) *''
Picnic of Love ''Picnic of Love'' is the fifth album by Anal Cunt. It was released on July 21, 1998. The album was released as a joke and a parody of love songs, as well as of the band itself. The album is characterized by the opposite of everything that the ba ...
'' (1998) *''
It Just Gets Worse ''It Just Gets Worse'' is the sixth album by the grindcore band Anal Cunt, released on November 9, 1999, on Earache Records. Recording information The album was recorded between August 1998 and August 1999 (except tracks 38 and 39 which were rec ...
'' (1999) *''Defenders of the Hate'' (2001) *''110 Song CD'' (2008) *''
Fuckin' A ''Fuckin' A'' is the eighth and final full-length album by American grindcore band Anal Cunt. It was released digitally on August 10, 2010, and then physically on January 11, 2011. The album is intended to be a parody of "cock rock" bands such ...
'' (2010) *''Wearing Out Our Welcome (2011)


References


External links


Official page
on MySpace {{Authority control American grindcore musical groups Noisecore musical groups Musical groups from Massachusetts Relapse Records artists Earache Records artists American musical trios Obscenity controversies in music Musical groups established in 1988 Musical groups disestablished in 1990 Musical groups reestablished in 1991 Musical groups disestablished in 2001 Musical groups reestablished in 2003 Musical groups disestablished in 2011 Musical parodies