Man Is The Bastard

ByLets Go Punk
Claremont

Man Is the Bastard was a hardcore punk band based in Claremont, California. Active from 1990 to 1997, the group released a heavy run of vinyl splits, EPs, and albums on small labels around the world. The band is commonly linked to 1990s powerviolence, and they also operated under the name Charred Remains.

Where They Came From

Man Is the Bastard formed in Southern California in 1990 and stayed active through 1997. Their catalog leaned hard into physical formats, especially split records and short releases, and they built a reputation through DIY circulation rather than big, centralized distribution.

Sound and Setup

The band mixed hardcore speed with a heavy noise component. A core part of their live and recorded identity was the two-bass setup paired with dual vocals. Electronics were also part of the picture, with Henry Barnes bringing handmade electronic instruments into the band’s sound and helping push the noise side of the material.

The recordings are known for raw, low-fidelity production, keeping things abrasive and direct rather than polished.

Lyrics and Subject Matter

The writing often went dark and political. Topics tied to animal rights, violence, misanthropy, torture, police brutality, starvation, and depression show up across their releases. Even when the imagery got bleak, the band’s messaging lined up with progressive politics, including activism that connected with their broader scene.

Artwork and Visual Identity

Many releases used a consistent layout built around the band’s skull logo, with the release title placed beneath the name. The skull image was taken from a medical book Eric Wood was reading. Notes in the packaging were typically short and practical, often giving quick context for the tracks.

In 2012, the band Akron/Family used the skull logo on a shirt design. Eric Wood publicly raised concerns about it, and the issue was later resolved between the parties.

Noise Offshoots and Later Activity

Bastard Noise began as a side project connected to Man Is the Bastard’s noisier direction and later became its own ongoing entity. After Man Is the Bastard ended, members stayed active across multiple projects, spanning experimental noise, progressive rock, and continued hardcore and powerviolence work.

Members

  • Eric Wood, vocals and bass
  • Joel Connell, drums
  • Henry Barnes, guitar and electronics
  • Aaron Kenyon, vocals and bass
  • Shawn Connell, guitar (appears on the Charred Remains / Pink Turds in Space split EP)
  • Bill Nelson, electronics
  • Andrew Beattie, vocals
  • Isreal Lawrence, vocals and electronics

Discography Highlights

  • Sum of the Men: “The Brutality Continues…” (1991, Vermiform Records, LP). Later issued on CD with additional tracks collected from various 7-inch releases.
  • Thoughtless… (1995, Gravity Records, LP). Originally pressed in multiple versions, later issued on CD in 1996. Gravity reissued a remastered LP in 2012 on multiple vinyl color variants.
  • The Honesty Shop (2016, Robotic Empire, LP). Limited vinyl pressing housed in a screenprinted jacket with a lyrics insert.

Notable Release Notes

One of the band’s most widely available releases is a 1997 split LP with death row prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, which stands out as a direct link between their politics and the way they chose to document it on record.

Similar Posts