My Collection #1 - Abolition - Complacency

Abolition – German hardcore/screamo band (1991–1994), feat; Corey Von Villiez (bass), Jens Wagner (gtr), Andreas Huyhammer (gtr), Bernd Bohrmann (drms), Miguel Andrade (voc).

Their only full-length album, Complacency, was released in 1994 as a joint venture between Equality Records and Homemade Records. Recorded over four weekends in late 1993 in Bad Dürkheim, the record is often described as "mosh metal" infused with melodic guitar work and "screamo" style vocals that avoided the "whiny" tropes of the era (I can't stand the whiny shit and thankfully this record is void of it).*

Although the spine of my sleeve has almost disintegrated, the elaborate packaging inside remains in good condition. Included is a thick booklet, the Contaminated fanzine, and hand-written symbols on the inner sleeve, and a bilingual lyric booklet (the songs are screamed in English, and the lyrics have been translated for the sake of German listeners / readers).

Reviews from the underground scene at the time (and retrospective ratings) generally praised the songwriting and the band's ability to blend aggression with technicality, though some noted the production on the opening tracks felt more like raw demo recordings compared to the rest of the LP. And yeah, I'd agree with that. Like a lot of my records, I got it, played it a couple of times and filed it, so it's good to hear it once again and, admittedly, it may as well be for the first time!

Formed in 1990, the band were a key fixture in the German DIY hardcore scene, releasing the 7” Jesus Was A Fuckin Dick as well as this album. Members were also heavily involved in the "Confrontation" fanzine and the labels Equality and Homemade Records. 

Following Abolition's dissolution, Corey Von Villiez and Bernd Bohrmann formed the band Stack, which continued in a similar musical vein. Von Villiez later left the music scene to pursue her studies. Bernd Bohrmann remained active in the DIY community, eventually founding the label Scorched Earth Policy.

* I would actually rather listen to S Club Juniors than any Emo band.