Skate punks from Northern Cally
intro
to the Faction!Yesterday
is GoneNo
Hidden MessagesCorpse
In DisguiseDark
RoomPegged
for LiveEpitaphThe
Faction CollectionThe
Faction Collection 2: Uncollectable
One of The Faction's earliest appearances was on 1983's Thrasher Skate Rock Vol. 1 compilation (to which they contributed "Boredom Awaits" and "AUK"). In the band's short existence, they managed to release four eps and one full length album on IM Records, their own label (I'm assuming), which also produced several compilations for San Jose bands. The Faction performed close to 100 shows, including two tours of the US. Their best known song is probably the anthemic tune "Skate & Destroy," but this cut is far from indicative of their style.
Since they broke up, Caballero has performed in Odd Man Out, Shovelhead and, most recently, Soda. Guitarist Adam Segal went on to form The Living End, which became The End (or maybe that's the other way around).
tito2cents@msn.com (JORGE BRUCH)
adam segal is now in las vegas punk quartet 2 cents worth. and does his own label avdrecords.cobjorn666janssen@pandora.be
CD - Steve Caballero Bandology Vol.1 cheers, greetz.. from belgium.. b. (ed. note: contains tracks from The Faction, Odd Man Out, Shovelhead and Soda)
Yesterday is Gone - IM Records 1983
Very brief five song 7" ep. The tunes are straight forward thrash punk. The title song is the most interesting track, musically speaking. It has some nice changes in it demonstrating these adolescents weren't merely banging on their toys. It also proved the band understood tempo and were quite comfortable playing fast or slow. "Bullets are Faster Than Words" wants to say something meaningful about conflict but ends up berating people who oppose war by essentially calling them weenies.
No Hidden Messages - IM Records 1983
This is the classic Faction album, but not quite my favorite. Many punk-loving skaters did their thing with this-a-here music as their back drop. Among my favorites: "Being Watched," a heavy tune about being home alone and scared; "Change of Pace" and "Running Amok," two great ditties about politics in the '80s; "Why Save the Whales?" another anti-peace-loving-hippie type tune (along the lines of "Bullets are Faster..." but with the irony and sarcasm that song lacked); and "Beyond the Mirror"... a heavy and spooky tune about addiction, I do believe.
Gavin O'Brien wrote some cool lyrics for this album. He knew how to rhyme and make a decent point. Check out this verse from "Why Save the Whales?": 'Funds collected in a humane cause / To rescue a mammal with enormous jaws / One ate Pinnochio, but you don't care / Solicit money using solemn stares.' Cool! Here's a sharp teenager sending up activist-types. This guy bashed PC ways long before PC even had a name. "Change of Pace" is a little less sarcastic: 'We need a change of pace, of style / Let's put this place upon spin cycle / Historic influence no pity / Fuck what they did in the '60s.'
I have no idea if it's even possible to buy this lp anywhere anymore, but if you do run across it somewhere... --pick it up! It's a great document of mid-80s skate punk and its corresponding attitude.
wschult@verisign.com (William
Schult)
Just a quick thought on the No Hidden Messages Faction Album. This
was my first Skate Punk Album....which was later taken away from me at school,
as being Satanic or something, due to the title....what I had it at school
for is beyond me...but I never got it back! Anyways...The song Fast Food
Diet was a great song...Have not heard it in years so it may actually suck...but
I remember it as being quite funny.
Corpse in Disguise - IM Records 1984
Three new songs and a live track. The new stuff is more metal in sound and subject matter. Both are heavy and dark. The title track is a hectic number about hellspawns walking the earth. "Friends and Enemies" examines social deceitfulness. Violence and regret adorn the thrash metal musings of "100 Years War".
The mix on Corpse is much improved over No Hidden Messages, however, the echo effect on the vocals is overused and at times distracting. If you can overlook this one detail, the new songs rock pretty hard. Minus three points for including a live version of "Skate & Destroy" (an additional new song would've been better, "S&D" isn't that great).
shanerdavid@hotmail.com (Shane
Simmons)
Perhaps you don't appreciate old school punk! the new stuff is no where
in comparison to the old bands who didn't expect to make it to giant colliseums
(like green day or offspring) but always had a true raw sound. Maybe you
are just too young for that erra. I think bands like the Faction are priceless
because it is a reminder of my youth and trying to find original albums
is a challenge, especially over the net when you get swamped with stupid
record companies invading a simple search trying to make a few bucks. Don't
slag the old school man, give it a chance and appreciate it because there's
not many of us that do.
* Dark Room - IM Records 1985 *
Steve Caballero moves to rhythm guitar so Ray Stevens can take over on bass. There is also a new drummer in Craig Bosch. The new two guitar sound is much heavier and the mixing job is the best this band would ever know.
It's hard not to like the energy the new musicians bring to this six song collection. The Faction's turn toward metal became unapologetically clear with this release and Bosch is much better at thumping out metal than previous drummer Rendon was. Stevens packs a much pluckier bass than Stevie did so musically the Faction is at their peak here. Segal and Caballero crank out some monster riffs and O'Brien is having as much fun as ever with his lyrical insights.
"Dark Room" and "Deathless" club you over the head and demand to be played loud. "Terror in the Streets" is kind of a plodding outdoor version of No Hidden Messages' "Being Watched". There's even a radical funk influenced bass solo in the middle of "You Are Here". Of course, the band didn't completely abandon their punk upbringing... "Let's Go Get Cokes" is a fast paced celebration of these skaters' favorite brown syrupy beverage. And the band mixes the metal and punk genres nicely on "Tongue Like a Battering Ram".
I can't recommend this album enough so keep your ears peeled (and eyes to the wall) for it next time you are cruising the used record stores in your town.
Pegged for Live - IM Records 1985
Fairly average cassette-only release of a mid-1985 performance at CBGB in New York. It contains 14 songs - all performed with the new five piece line up. The slower, heavier songs are much tighter than the thrash tunes, but as the show proceeds the band warms up nicely. There is very little of the between song bantering with the crowd that makes live albums different than, I don't know, listening to the original versions of the same songs. But overall, it's safe to describe this tape as either a mediocre live release or one helluva good bootleg.
Highlights include: "Tongue Like a Battering Ram," "Being Watched," "Dark Room," "Why Save the Whales," "Deathless," and "100 Years War".
Six song ep including two cover tunes. The new lyrics to "California Dreamin'" are entertaining but the remake of the Gen-X song "Your Generation" is really wimpy (this may be because the original is wimpy, I don't know, I've never heard the original). "Kids are the Future" has its heart in the right place but just sounds half-assed and silly. "Tenebrae" is a cool instrumental that borrows the ending of "Being Watched". "I Decide For Me" is an aggressive rocker saying get out of my face.
It's obvious the band's short life was just about over, there's just no real heart in this record.
The Faction Collection - Goldenrod Records 1995
A commendable attempt to cram as much Faction material as possible on one compact disc. It falls just a little bit short. Don't get me wrong, it's great to finally have Faction tunes on disc, however I still have a few complaints:
1) Several great songs aren't included ("AUK," "You are Here," "Change of Pace," "Running Amok") BUT there's room for 10 more minutes of material on this disc! Why leave empty space? Fill that sucker up!! And why is "Your Generation" on here instead?! Blech.
2) The songs aren't in chronological order. This works against the overall enjoyability of the disc thanks to the varying sound qualities of the original recordings. The liner notes are kind enough to include the date each song was recorded so, with some creative disc player programming, it is possible to listen to the tunes in their proper historical order.
But my complaints are miniscule. This disc contains roughly 80% of the material The Faction recorded in their short existence and the songs it does include will make a Faction fan pleased as punk.
mattro@raptorial.com (Mattro)
Yo gang... I have no problem posting plugs for your personal projects or upcoming live shows. And yes, I will post your questions so that others may answer them when I cannot. It's all part of of this whole DIY networking thing. BUT... all I ask is that you send me your reviews!! Tell me what you like or hate about this band or why you like one of their albums over another. After all, this is a REVIEW website. Thank you for your consideration! -mattro
The Faction Collection 2: Uncollectable - AVD Records 2001
Odds and ends that didn't make the first collection. Put out by The Faction's '80s guitarist, Adam "Bomb" Segal.
I haven't heard this one nor can I even find a copy to order. Anyone? Is this release a figment of someone's imagination?
Other sites of interest:
Gavin O'Brien interview + Faction Discography. Funked up website that forces you to enter through their front page. Click on "interviews" and then on the Faction bat icon down the page.
The Faction entry at Skate Punk .Net