EXCEL- Personal Onslaught Demo Tape (USA, 1985)
First off, sorry for the long silence. Things had to be done, roads had to be walked and bottles of wine had to be emptied.
1985 had a few promising bands and looking back, it seems oh-so-obvious that the whole HC thing had come to an end in a way (I think I used the exact same phrase in a few other posting already, haha). Or better yet, there were new bands coming, with a new sound. EXCEL from Venice, CA., were one of them, getting a lot of hype from fellow SUICIDAL TENDENCIES. Upon the release of this first official demo, everybody was expecting to see a glorious future for the band! I don’t remember the tracks from “Welcome to Venice” too well and it beats me whether they were recorded prior to this, but they sure were weaker, so “Personal Onslaught” became pretty much the EXCEL reference.
The gloomy, sloppy, John Carpenter-esque orgn intro grabs your attention still and “Split Image” is still the second best song from this demo. “Insecurity” is a fine tune too, “Looking for you” has got a bit of an annoying chorus, but “Spare the Pain” is still one hell of a song and without the slightest doubt the best track on this tape. I hadn’t played it in a very long time, and when I ripped it for this post, I was a bit disappointed in the sound quality. I had remembered the tape to be a superbly recorded effort, but unfortunatly, it is not so.
I interviewed the band for my fanzine, back in late 85 or early 86, ordered a T-Shirt (which I wore until it fell apart) and got a second demo tape with the order. It said “Don’t copy” on the tape, but one day or another, you’ll ge to hear that one too.
The LP that came out like in ‘88 got a lot of attention, but wasn’t too well received. It had a very sterile sound and wasn’t nearly as technical in musicianship in composition as I had expected it. In fact, it’s a rather primitive umpa-umpa album with little variety, but over the years, it still grew on me. It was the last I ever heard from this band.
Split Image.mp3
Insecurity.mp3
Looking for you.mp3
Spare the Pain.mp3
Frank Mossi wrote:
The master is back
So happy to read another post and hear more exquisite music 
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Posted on 01-Feb-08 at 2:16 pm | Permalink
Peter - KBD Records wrote:
More exciting and inspirational then to see some Crass cover band on YouTube.
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Posted on 01-Feb-08 at 2:23 pm | Permalink
*ç&*%&! wrote:
Thanks for all the GREAT work. Saw you in Germany last week. :love:
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Posted on 01-Feb-08 at 3:00 pm | Permalink
Nate wrote:
This tape brings back many memories and makes me smile just thinking about it. I bought a copy of this at the record vault in sf, and on the other side was the Blood Cum demo. thanks for the good memories. peace & noise
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Posted on 01-Feb-08 at 8:23 pm | Permalink
METALMINX wrote:
EXCEL-lent, i’ve waiting for this one
thanx!
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Posted on 01-Feb-08 at 8:23 pm | Permalink
Marcel wrote:
Great site, just came across it, and really love it! Excel!!, I kinda gotta laugh. I really thought their debut was amazing! My friends and I were looking forward to the second release, and it was total medal; lame!! Then we went to see them with Dr. Know and it SUCKED. Both bands were into the medal cross over faze, loads of skins and suicidals! Fucking violent show!!! Excel plays like 4 songs, cuz the singer had a soar throat. Oh well.
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Posted on 01-Feb-08 at 10:57 pm | Permalink
Pär wrote:
this I really really like! Thanks alot!
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Posted on 02-Feb-08 at 7:08 am | Permalink
CHARON wrote:
I like all their old recordings incl. the “Split Image” LP and although this demo is also available on the “Split Image” CD re-release, I’m grateful because of the cover-pics. By the way, to get the original covers is what I like most on this site !
When you talk about the “Don’t copy” second demo tape, do you mean the officially unreleased “Refuse to Quit” demo ?
OK, here is a link to a scan of the EXCEL article in MEGAWIMP 1 !
http://aycu11.webshots.com/image/43330/2004446505674247438_rs.jpg
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Posted on 02-Feb-08 at 10:11 am | Permalink
eddie wrote:
Here’s some old school info on Excel. Orginally they were Chaotic Noise who existed from 83-84. The Excel bassist Shawn was their roadie who used to hang out with a chick named Bethany Wells who I scammed on and my black homie Shady (RIP) did too. I saw Chaotic Noise play a few times at the Cathay in Hollywood and the Music Machine in Culver City and a few other various spots in the West LA area with all those Sui related bands.
I remember one night at the Cathay the singer from Chaotic Noise/Excel got into a fight with a member from FFF gang and John Macias (RIP) from Circle One broke it up. John Macias was the baddest dude in the scene in those days and nobody fucked with him.
The first time I heard of Excel I saw it tagged on a table in the park I used to hang out called Pan Pacific Park and I wonded who they were until I found out it was the former members of Chaotic Noise.
I used to go to elementary school with Excel’s/Chaotic Noise’s guitarist Adam and he had a funny ass punk band then. They played a talent show where he played keyboards along with two guitarists and a drummer. They sounded as if Black Flag and Devo had a baby.
All you US states and European countries who talked shit about the LA scene can suck our nuts cuz you wished you could have been there!!!
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Posted on 02-Feb-08 at 6:46 pm | Permalink
Slobodan wrote:
Thanks for this, good shit to listen to when you drive to work in the morning. Wake up and smell the fight, so to speak. When are we going to see the full run of MEGAWIMP over at PunksIsHippies? Never? Ever?Soon? Who knows but Erich?
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Posted on 05-Feb-08 at 3:10 am | Permalink
Donofthedead wrote:
I actually liked Chaotic Noise more than Excel.
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Posted on 11-Feb-08 at 4:34 pm | Permalink
Admin wrote:
Just today, I found a rip of “Welcome to Venice”. Damn, why have I sold this? I actually like the EXCEL songs on it quite a bit, especially the instrumental “Enforcer”.
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Posted on 18-Feb-08 at 2:21 pm | Permalink
Nicky wrote:
can anyone find a good rip of the chaotic noise demo tapes??? the ones on soul seek are horrible!!!
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Posted on 27-Feb-08 at 1:48 am | Permalink
Vijay Prozak wrote:
Classic, old school thrash. Also looking for any demos by “Chaotic Noise.”
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Posted on 18-Feb-09 at 11:00 am | Permalink
Ian Christe wrote:
“John Carpenter intro,” that’s right on the money. Excel’s secret was inserting moody Trouble sections between the Exodus/hardcore rampages. Great demo, I used to have Excel horned skull stickers on everything I owned. The LP was a massive letdown to me, too. I think a line-up breakdown had occurred that spawned Arsonal Fury and other bands.
John Macias, wow, I only knew of him by reputation. That guy really lived (and died, really) right on the knife’s edge of all the identity politics that used to cause so much violence in the scene and now mostly only cause Internet bickering. The intensity survives in the music, but those were some crazy times and characters.
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Posted on 26-Apr-09 at 10:10 am | Permalink