Intentions of Hate were proof positive that there was still a LVHC scene happening after Fuck Shit Piss broke up. They've even got the LVHC logo on the demo! Released in 93 but sounding firmly entrenched in 80's hardcore. Speedy hardcore with attitude. Pretty fuckin tight too. Speed was the name of the game with their sound and in many ways their lifestyle.
These guys were the anti-thesis of another local band back then the Wholes. Where the Wholes were a band on acid and downers IOH was a band on speed. Everyone was on some drug back then. As innocent as it seemed it later ended just like it always does. Still the music has more personality then that straight edge shit so I'm not complaining. But it was a bad hangover and Hardcore was on it's way out with death metal soon to take it's momentum as far as fast hard music is concerned.
Some may argue that the death/grind/black metal scenes that would come later were an evolution of the sound. Maybe that's partially true. Hardcore could never lay too much claim to innovation. But I think IOH and some of the Vegas bands from that distant past were able to distinguish a voice and sound that was unique. I know it's got more for me to identify with than the death metal formulas which would later become codified and rigid in the ensuing years.
These guys were the anti-thesis of another local band back then the Wholes. Where the Wholes were a band on acid and downers IOH was a band on speed. Everyone was on some drug back then. As innocent as it seemed it later ended just like it always does. Still the music has more personality then that straight edge shit so I'm not complaining. But it was a bad hangover and Hardcore was on it's way out with death metal soon to take it's momentum as far as fast hard music is concerned.
Some may argue that the death/grind/black metal scenes that would come later were an evolution of the sound. Maybe that's partially true. Hardcore could never lay too much claim to innovation. But I think IOH and some of the Vegas bands from that distant past were able to distinguish a voice and sound that was unique. I know it's got more for me to identify with than the death metal formulas which would later become codified and rigid in the ensuing years.
Intentions of Hate had all the elements of LVHC style. A freak scene of a band with a commitment to speed and energy. Nigel, obnoxious, drunk, with solid beats. Sean Patrick with the snakelike bass. Kyle with maniac eyes throttling his guitar at 90mph. Paul French delivering the hardcore goods vocally. I totally get the Born To Lose, don't give a fuck, Motorhead vibe from these recordings.
While this demo doesn't re-write the rules of hardcore it still holds up as a good document of the time. It was a fractured time and IOH was one of the few bands still flying the hardcore flag. These guys might have been among the last practitioners of this sound but that's generalizing. I'm sure there were dozens more bands like these guys who were burning the candle at both ends and to this day I'd imagine there's still hundreds of these types of bands floating around which you'll never hear about. Well maybe dozens anyway.
While this demo doesn't re-write the rules of hardcore it still holds up as a good document of the time. It was a fractured time and IOH was one of the few bands still flying the hardcore flag. These guys might have been among the last practitioners of this sound but that's generalizing. I'm sure there were dozens more bands like these guys who were burning the candle at both ends and to this day I'd imagine there's still hundreds of these types of bands floating around which you'll never hear about. Well maybe dozens anyway.
IOH had a practice space in Nigel's garage known as the Schmegma or less formally the Schmeg. He lived there with his Aunt Wheezy. Maybe it was his stepmom? Great place. I hung out there a few times and I'm sure I saw IOH practice there. I accidentally threw Nigel's bass drum on the ground after drinking one too many beers and then taking a dose. I could swear I still owe Tim $5 for that dose. Sorry Tim, get in touch I'll send you the $5. Did I ever see IOH play a show anywhere else? There weren't many shows at that time anyway although it seems like the Las Vegas Music Co-Op was still promoting shows at the Henderson Elks Lodge although I don't recall ever seeing IOH play the Elks.
It seems like the tensions brought on by the Nazi invasion of the scene were starting to subside. Maybe I just think that because I stopped hanging out with my anti-nazi friends and so I stopped seeing it. These same "anti-nazi" friends made claims to the affect that IOH was a "nazi" band. Those anti-nazis were an ignorant bunch not much different from their nazi counterparts. This band didn't give two shits about politics. They were into drugs.
At that time I was disgusted by the whole nazi/anti-nazi/us versus them bullshit. Hanging out with these guys was a good anti-dote to that. We never talked politics there. We just smoked weed, drank beer and listened to hard fast music. There was a whole scene based around the Schmeg but none of the band names are coming to me right now. Nice Sucks/Leper Bureocracy shit I know there were more. There was also a glam rock hair band that practiced next door to the Schmeg for a bit which was kind of hilarious.
At that time I was disgusted by the whole nazi/anti-nazi/us versus them bullshit. Hanging out with these guys was a good anti-dote to that. We never talked politics there. We just smoked weed, drank beer and listened to hard fast music. There was a whole scene based around the Schmeg but none of the band names are coming to me right now. Nice Sucks/Leper Bureocracy shit I know there were more. There was also a glam rock hair band that practiced next door to the Schmeg for a bit which was kind of hilarious.
I haven't seen any of these guys in more than 15 years. I know nothing of the whereabouts of these characters. I hope they are still kickin it. Someone out there will appreciate hearing this again.
Download Intentions of Hate Demo
If that link doesn't work download each song individually here:
1. intro
2. Don't Tell Me To Smile
3. Bad Neck of the Woods
4. Enforce the World
5. Intentions of Hate
6. Madder Than Mad
7. Self Exploitation
8. IOH insert
9. IOH Lyric sheet
10 IOH cassette cover
If that link doesn't work download each song individually here:
1. intro
2. Don't Tell Me To Smile
3. Bad Neck of the Woods
4. Enforce the World
5. Intentions of Hate
6. Madder Than Mad
7. Self Exploitation
8. IOH insert
9. IOH Lyric sheet
10 IOH cassette cover
I haven't heard this in YEARS!!! This is, and was, one of the sickest demos that came out during my few years in LV. A lot of people I knew considered this to be "too metal", but things were also a bit political around that time too. Bold statement here, but I'd put this against anything that COC put out. I'm blasting it right now. Thanks for this one, Chad!!!
ReplyDeleteThat is a bold statement. I'd agree with you if you leave out COC's Animosity album. Animosity is more important to me than Slayer's Reign In Blood. Another bold statement huh?
ReplyDeleteIOH probably got labeled as Nazis from all the Nazis that would show up & beat people up when they would play the Huntridge. Still, I really enjoyed this demo at the time
ReplyDeleteI love it! Thanks, Chad.
ReplyDeleteLil Jay
Actually some of the bands that practiced at the schmeg were right wing bands like chaotic frenzy and stronghold. That was in the late 80s and early 90's. Nigel was nuetral back then when it came to politics because when the scene split it seems he had friends on both sides and there were always different types hanging at the schmeg.I do miss the hell out of the real vegas shit like substance d and i.o.h. vegas had bands like no other town original and brutal.
ReplyDeleteI was in the same boat. I was anti-nazi but a close friend went Nazi. It made no sense. But being a teenager rarely makes sense. And that's all it was... a bunch of dumb ass kids. Still I remember how powerful all those dumb kids seemed under a united scene. I lost a lot of faith in that time. But it still inspires me. That's why I'm doing this blog. It still means something and it ain't nostalgia. It's setting the record straight before someone steps in who wasn't even there.
ReplyDeleteIt's all history now. I'm starting to see that we've all learned lessons from that time. Those of us who lived thru it. Let's hope future generations learns from our mistakes. The music lives on.
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ReplyDeleteI'm am Nigel's son. Nigel is alive and well.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure about the "well" part. haha
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