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Sunday Old School: Cro-Mags

There are some scenes that stay local, some which are struggling and then there those which become legendary. One such example is the Bay Area thrash metal scene, which gave the world such bands as Exodus, Testament and Metallica, but on the other side of the country was something just as important which would shape the thrash metal scene there. A movement which has been the subject of documentaries and books, the New York Hardcore scene. Many of the best bands in the genre came from this, including Agnostic Front and later, Sick Of It All, but there was one band that were legends in their own time as well as today, who went by the name of Cro-Mags.

The group began life in 1981 in New York City, the brain child of bass player, Harley Flanagan, who was only fourteen at the time but was intent on making himself known in the local punk scene, as well as hitchhiking his way to California to check out the punk scene there. The band went through a number of musicians and at one point, were seriously considering approaching Beastie Boys member, Adam Yauch to join. They also didn't have a singer until 1984, when fifteen year old Eric Casanova was brought into the fold. Though he only performed two shows with the group, he contributed to the writing of such songs as, "Life of my Own" and "Hard Times." He was eventually replaced by John Joseph, also knows as John Bloodclot, who had worked with Flanagan before in Mode of Ignorance. Joseph was the perfect fit for the band and his lyrics helped them evolve into the image we know today, helping to craft more songs and complete a solid live set.

Having been around for a good while in some form or another, the time had come for this local force to record an album, which in a similar vein to the Napalm Death debut, "Scum," was recorded in two days, though months apart; one side in November 1984 and the other in February the following year. The resulting album, "The Age of Quarrel," didn't see a release until September 1986 but is recognised as one of the classic albums of hardcore music, displaying a sound which brought in a metal element to the genre. It is certainly their most revered album critically and arguably the favourite of most fans as well, boasting songs such as, "It's the Limit," "Malfunction" and "We Gotta Know," the last of which would be made into the band's first music video.

There were however, well documented tensions between some of the band members, which led to John Joseph leaving and Flanagan taking over on vocals. Though no longer involved with the Cro-Mags, Joseph left a mark on the group by introducing them to his belief in the Hare Krishna faith, which others, including Flanagan also became devotees of. The religion was at the forefront of the band's sophomore album, "Best Wishes," which was released in 1989 through Profile Records, as evidenced by such songs as, "Days of Confusion," as well as the vibrant front cover art. It was also notable for the band increasing the metal influence in their sound greatly, becoming arguably more of a thrash metal band than a hardcore one.

It was clear that the metal in the music was going nowhere, even when John Joseph returned to reclaim his position of lead singer. Their third album, "Alpha and Omega," released in 1992, was more or less straight up crossover thrash metal, which featured some solid songs, though it failed to gain the recognition that the previous two records had garnered. Another album, "Near Death Experience" was released the following year and once again was emblazoned with art stemming from the Hare Krishna beliefs, as well as bringing a touch of speed metal to their sound, though it would not be something they could expand upon as the band soon went on hiatus.

A return was inevitable however, and in the year 2000, the group released a new album, "Revenge," which featured Flanagan on vocals once more, owing to the absence of John Joseph. The record was something of a return to their hardcore roots, earning comparisons to, "Age of Quarrel," though it was unable to live up to the reputation of that particular record. To date, it remains the latest Cro-Mags album, following another hiatus soon after it's release, though the band would return now and then to perform live.

In 2008, Joseph brought a new incarnation of the Cro-Mags to the stage, featuring other New York hardcore alumni such as Craig Setari of Sick of it All, AJ Novello of Leeway and drummer Mackie Jayson. The group continues to perform sporadically, with a new album reportedly in the works, which was hoped to be recorded in 2011 according to Joseph, though to date, it has not been released. Whether or not a new album ever sees the light of day, an "Age of Quarrel" reunion happens (which is highly unlikely after Flanagan stabbed two people at a 2012 show, reasons for which vary) or they dissolve altogether, is perhaps irrelevant, as this extremely volatile band has etched their name into the annals of music history forever as one of the most important bands in the history of hardcore, one which helped shape the sound that we know today.

Cro-Mags - "We Gotta Know"

Cro-Mags - "It's the Limit/Hard Times"

Cro-Mags - "The Only One"

Cro-Mags - "The Other Side of Madness"

Cro-Mags - "War on the Streets"

Cro-Mags - "Premeditated"