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Trial By Fire - 1982
The Holy Grail of 1980’s Chicago Punk!
Alona’s Dream Records in collaboration with Regressive Films is proud to announce that the lost and unreleased 1981 LP by Trial By Fire is finally going to see its first official release on vinyl, CD and digital.
When Chicago Punk legends Strike Under broke up in 1981, three of the four members went on to form Trial By Fire. They were one of the first Chicago bands to play thrash-style hardcore and quickly became scene favorites, especially among the younger all-ages set.
Far from being a by-the-numbers hardcore group, Trial By Fire’s sound bore a heavy Stranglers and post-punk influence as well. They created a unique repertoire which sits alongside the best of the Effigies, Strike Under and Naked Raygun. In fact, when bassist / vocalist Pierre Kezdy later joined Naked Raygun, he brought along their classic “Rocks Of Sweden” with him.
This album was recorded in 1982 by studio great Timothy Powell (Effigies, Strike Under, Naked Raygun, Da!) in a warehouse adjacent to the famed birthplace of House music, The Warehouse! These tracks represent a moment when underground music was brave, adventurous and flourishing in the rundown streets of early 80’s Chicago. The songs were transferred from the original master tapes by Powell himself and still sound incredibly fresh and relevant in 2017.