New Bomb Turks

by Bradley Torreano and Matt CarlsonFour guys holding English degrees from Ohio State University, the New Bomb Turks have been declared as leaders in the punk rock revolution by spiked-haired, hardcore punkers everywhere. They are not pop-punk, but ferociously aggressive and fast, borrowing from the Pagans, Dead Boys, and so on. The bands name comes from Robert Wuhls character in an early-80s B movie, The Hollywood Nights, which also marked the film debuts of Tony Danza and Michelle Pfeiffer. Their landmark debut, Destroy Oh Boy!, came out in 1993 to universally great reviews. Following it up quickly with the Drunk on Cock EP (which has a hilariously offensive cover), the band scored another winner the next year with Information Highway Revisited. Featuring a tighter sound and less of a direct punk influence, the record again made them critical darlings. The Pissing Out the Poison: Singles and Other Swill was their last release for Crypt Records, as mini-major Epitaph asked them to join the roster. Scared Straight and At Ropes End both appeared quickly afterwards, although both records started to show the wear and tear the band was experiencing on the road and in the studio. A few EPs marked the time between albums, but their last Epitaph release (Nightmare Scenario) would hit stores by 1999. The band and label split amicably, and the Turks toured for a bit before stepping back into the studio. Recording The Night Before the Day the Earth Stood Still without a label, Gearhead pick up the record and released it in the fall of 2002.