7 Seconds

ByLets Go Punk
7 Seconds (often stylized as 7Seconds) are an American hardcore punk band from Reno

7 Seconds (often stylized as 7Seconds) are an American hardcore punk band from Reno, Nevada, formed in 1980 by two sets of brothers. Despite numerous lineup changes over the years, Kevin Seconds, Steve Youth, and Bobby Adams have remained consistent members. The current lineup includes Kevin Seconds (vocals), Steve Youth (bass), Troy Mowat (drums), and Bobby Adams (guitar).

History

Formation

7 Seconds was formed on January 17, 1980, by the Marvelli brothers, using the punk rock names “Kevin Seconds” and “Steve Youth,” and the Borghino brothers, known as “Tom Munist” and “Dim Menace.” The band’s name was inspired by various influences, including a miswritten album title on a desk and references to “7 Seconds” in a movie.

Initially, the band featured both sets of brothers, but in 1981, Tom Munist and Dim Menace left to form a new band called Section 8.

Recording History

7 Seconds has explored various rock genres throughout their career. Their early work consisted of several EPs, including the 1982 release “Skins, Brains and Guts,” which was later re-released on compilation CDs. They also contributed to multiple compilations like “Not So Quiet On the Western Front” (1982) and “Cleanse the Bacteria” (1985).

The band’s first full-length album, “The Crew,” was recorded in 1983-84 and released by BYO Records, followed by the EP “Walk Together, Rock Together” in 1985. Their subsequent albums, like “New Wind,” showed a shift towards a more melodic and accessible sound, which influenced many later pop-punk and indie rock bands.

Later albums, such as “The Music, The Message” (1995), marked a return to their hardcore roots after experimenting with a more mainstream sound. The band continued this hardcore revival with albums like “Good to Go” (1999) and “Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over!” (2005).

Legacy

7 Seconds is often credited as the first band to describe themselves primarily as hardcore. They were closely associated with the Straight Edge movement and helped start the Youth Crew movement in 1984 with their album “The Crew.”

Vocalist Kevin Seconds has also had a successful solo career, becoming a significant figure in the folk-punk scene, collaborating with artists like Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio and Mike Scott of Lay It on the Line. Dim Menace’s iconic fist-brandishing scowl on the cover of “Skins, Brains, & Guts” remains one of hardcore’s most recognizable images.

In May 2013, 7 Seconds signed with Rise Records and planned to record a new album in Sacramento. Despite their official breakup announcement on March 20, 2018, they reunited in 2021 and announced a 2022 North American tour alongside Circle Jerks and Negative Approach.

Discography

Demos

  • Drastic Measures (cassette), 1980
  • Socially Fucked Up (cassette), 1981
  • Three Chord Politics (cassette), 1981

EPs

  • Skins, Brains and Guts (Alternative Tentacles, 1982)
  • Committed for Life (Squirtdown, 1983)
  • Blasts from the Past (Positive Force, 1985)
  • Walk Together, Rock Together (Positive Force/BYO, 1985)
  • Praise (Positive Force Records, 1987)
  • 1980 Reissue (Official Bootleg, 1991)
  • Happy Rain/Naked (Eating Blur, 1993)
  • Split with Kill Your Idols (SideOneDummy, 2004)
  • My Aim Is You/Slogan On A Shirt (Rise, 2013)

Studio Albums

  • United We Stand (unreleased and later re-issued as Old School – Headhunter Records/Cargo Records, 1983)
  • The Crew (BYO, 1984)
  • New Wind (Positive Force/BYO, 1986)
  • Ourselves (Restless, 1988)
  • Soulforce Revolution (Restless, 1989); No. 153 on the 1989 Billboard 200
  • Out the Shizzy (Headhunter/Cargo, 1993)
  • The Music, the Message (Sony/BMI, 1995)
  • Good to Go (SideOneDummy, 1999)
  • Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over! (SideOneDummy, 2005)
  • Leave a Light On (Rise, 2014)

Compilation Albums

  • Walk Together, Rock Together (Positive Force/BYO, 1986)
  • alt.music.hardcore (Headhunter/Cargo, 1995)

Live Albums

  • Live! One Plus One (Positive Force/Giant, 1987)
  • Scream Real Loud…Live! (SideOneDummy, 2000)
  • Live at Cindy’s 1980 (Eyebar Records, 2022)

Compilation Appearances

  • Not So Quiet on the Western Front (MRR/Alternative Tentacles, 1982)
  • We Got Power: Party or Go Home (Mystic, 1983)
  • Something to Believe In (BYO, 1984)
  • Nuke Your Dink (Positive Force, 1984)
  • Cleanse the Bacteria (Pusmort, 1985)
  • Another Shot for Bracken (Positive Force, 1986)
  • Four Bands That Could Change the World (Gasatanka, 1987)
  • Flipside Vinyl Fanzine, vol. 3 (Flipside, 1987)
  • Human Polity (One World Communications, 1993)
  • The Song Retains the Name, vol. 2 (Safe House, 1993)
  • Ten Years Later (Bossa Nova, 1997)
  • Short Music for Short People (Fat Wreck Chords, 1999)
  • Let Them Know: The Story of Youth Brigade and BYO Records (BYO, 2009)
  • Old School Punk Vol.1 (Walk Together, Rock Together)

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