May | 2012 | Germ Attack

Image from: http://equalizingxdistort.blogspot.ca/2009/11/young-lions-1982-84-from-vaults-lp.html

Probably best known outside of their Toronto hometown for their appearance on the 1984 compilation Something To Believe In, The Young Lions produced a body of work that is ripe for rediscovery.

For a band that only recorded demos during the main part of its existence, the early to mid eighties, the Young Lions retained a remarkably high level of quality.

Diversity was their hallmark. From sturdy, Oi-ish ’77 style punk (“Royal Killers”) to speedy hardcore (“Young Amerika”) and occasionally dabbling in experimental (and somewhat awkward) post punk (“Pray for Julie”), as well as infusions of reggae and heavy metal, the Young Lions had all the bases covered.

Lyrically, they specialized in socially conscious broadsides that had more in common with the New Left of the 1960s than many of their more anarchic contemporaries.

How serious they were about these lyrics is open for debate; in a 1981 fanzine interview, they claim their main lyrical concern is “girls and cars, man”. Feigned or not, the radical content of the lyrics adds depth.

In 1986, a disappointing full length lp, entitled Welcome to the Freak Show, appeared.

This album has its moments, but for my money, their demos – which were comiled on the posthumous From The Vaults lp (2009) – show them at their best.

According to the aforementioned interview (link below; this is one of the only sources for information on this band that I’ve been able to find) the band took their name from the 1958 Marlon Brando film of the same name. “It was sort of an anti-war film, and we’re… sort of anti-war”, Mike explains.

The band seems to have broken up after the release of their 1986 lp. The album shows them struggling to break away from the confines of punk rock, a gambit that probably alienated their old fans while failing to gain them any new ones.

In 1981, Chris claimed, “We don’t want to make money…I just wanna make music, that’s it”.

If that was the band’s goal, then they were a success.

1981 Interview:

http://www.dementlieu.com/users/obik/arc/other/younglions_schrik2.html

Discography:

http://killfromtheheart.com/bands.php?id=162

“Pray for Julie”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzD7sxt9s7g

Image from Hardcore Show Flyers blog: http://www.hardcoreshowflyers.com/2010/06/08/fair-warning-vomit-the-zits-cargo-montreal-canada-5-28-84/

“What the hell, I’m going mental!”, the singer bellows against a barely-together, warp-speed instrumental attack. The song rushes by breathlessly, ending practically before it begins, in just over a minute.

That’s about as “musical” as Montreal’s Vomit and the Zits ever got.

The ineptitude of the songs “What the Hell and “Suicide” makes them stand out among the more conventional punk and hardcore bands that they share the Primitive Air-Raid lp with. Released by Psyche Industries in 1984, it’s one of only three vinyl appearances from this ultra-obscure band.

Information on Vomit and the Zits is scarce online. Even the comprehensive Kill From the Heart database has little information beyond a listing of the band’s compilation appearances.

According to the Canadian Pop Encyclopedia, the band existed from 1981 to 1985, and featured ex-members of Zyklon B and future members of Dead Brain Cells. I’ve heard neither band, but information about both seems easier to come by.

The Quebec Underground site has a personal account from someone calling himself “Anarchoi.”

“These guys never rehearsed”, Anarchoi writes. “I don’t even know if they did sound checks.” This spontaneous aesthetic certainly informs their tracks on Primitive Air Raid.

Anarchoi also recalls a disastrous attempt at a reunion show in 1996. “Parker tried to smack someone in the audience with his guitar and the guy came on stage and smacked him a good one.”

It’s a fitting end to a band whose music was the sonic embodiment of the chaotic extremes of the ’80s punk scene. Listening to “What the Hell”, you can practically taste the beer and smell the sweat.

Edit: According to singer Parker, Anarchoi is not known to the band, and his story is false. Please see comments for details. If Anarchoi is reading, please identify yourself.

Vomit and the Zits were, according to Quebec Underground:

Dave Javex Vocals
Parker Guitar
Jeff Drums
Stephane Bass’

Vomit and the Zits discography, taken from Kill From the Heart:

Compilations:

PRIMITIVE AIR-RAID LP (Psyche Industry Records, 1984)

MONTREAL/NEW YORK CONNECTION LP (Big City Records, 1985)

PANIC PANIC LP (Psyche Industry Records/Planetarium Records, 1985)

Links:

The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia:

http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/V

Quebec Underground:

http://www.quebecunderground.net/punk_band.php?groupe=Vomit%20and%20the%20Zits