DEEP CUTS DISTRO

Iron Maiden had Eddie. NYC Mayhem had Speedy. In 1985, I was in love with both bands. I ordered NYC Mayhem’s “Violence” demo from a fanzine called Mutilator, done by Beyond / Quicksand guitarist Tom Capone. I sent my three dollars in the mail and received a tape back from Gordon Ancis, the guitar player. I would sit on my bed and pore over the Powerslave cover art, all its masterful intricacies. The cover of the Mayhem demo, a crude doodle, something a bored kid might draw on his desk, was just as cool. Speedy was a wild-eyed cartoon with two teeth and scratches on his face, as though he’d been in a fight, with squiggle lines for hair. The stripped-down aesthetic of the artwork translated to the music as well. Where Iron Maiden had just released their most epic composition, “Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner,” nearly fourteen minutes in length, Mayhem had a song on their demo, “Body Bags,” that was five seconds long. There was great metal riffing on the tape, and preposterous speed. It was the fastest thing I had ever heard. I couldn’t have loved it more. This was my first tape from an underground New York Hardcore band. On the flip side of the demo, the band included a copy of one of their recent shows at CBGB’s. I was transfixed by those four letters. The live show was just as good as, if not better than, the demo. Kids only a year or two older than me were making music with a power and intensity that was overwhelming. The sound on the tape was incredible. The mood was intimate. The band traded banter with the audience. CBGB’s. Sitting in my room at the age of fourteen, I knew I had to go there. NYC Mayhem went on, of course, to transform into the legendary Straight Ahead. Nearly thirty years after receiving Mayhem’s “Violence” demo in the mail, I’ve become friendly with Tommy Carroll, the singer, and I can tell you this: NYC Mayhem is the band he still talks about. The band that should have stayed together. The band that could have done something big. – Lewis Dimmick (Our Gang), 2014

26-track LP contains all of NYC Mayhem's studio recordings: two demo tapes and their unreleased "For Real!" 7" that was to appear on Urinal Records. Also includes a 12-page full-color book containing extensive liner notes and many rare/unseen images. Limited to 500 copies.