The Mad – Songs For The Ugly / Albino (1993)

Artist: The Mad 
Home : Chatham Ontario Canada
CD Release : Songs For The Ugly / Albino
Music Style : Thrash/Punk
Date : 1993

Musicians :
Rob Johnston – Vocals, Guitar
Mat Davis– Guitars
Mike Krestel– Bass
Terry Hart – Drums

(Mike Krestel joined the band about 6mths before the SFTU studio sessions in Montreal)

Track Listing:  (Songs for the Ugly)
Blue Guy,
Curious,
God’s On Drugs,
Lonely Head,
Me, The Asylum and I,
Shine Softly,
Songs For The Ugly,
Stroll Minds,
The Last Suffer, The Other Side, Web

Track Listing:  (Albino)
Albino,
And The Apes Got Creepy

* Recorded at dB Studios, London, Ont. on Aug. 17 ’93
Produced by The Mad and D Brodbeck
Engineered by D Brodbeck

The Scoop: This is the follow up to their first Fringe Records release ‘Taboo of the Western World’. This would be their last full length recording, although they did put out a 7″ inch vinyl record called Albino featuring 2 songs this same year..
The Mad played with several great bands of the time including Punk Legends The Accused, Dayglo Abortions, NOFX, Death Angel, Armed & Hammered.
The band spilt up a few years later. Rob went on to form ‘Never’, a popular local punk band that also dominated the thriving scene around 1997-2000. Mat moved away to try & form the ultimate punk band & began his work in London becoming the band SALMONBLASTER.
The Mad are one of only a small handful of local bands to ever get a distribution deal.

Click Video below to preview the release.

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Listen to The Mad here.

M.A.D. – Generation Zero (1989)

ARTIST : Mutually Assured Destruction
HOME : Chatham, Ontario, Canada
DEMO RELEASE : Generation Zero (Cassette)
DATE : 1989
 
Members
Rob Johnston – Vocals, Guitars
Mat Davis – Guitar, B.Vocals
Ted Hart – Bass
Walt Perin – Drum
 
Download The Demo here.
Download tested and is a zip file provided by another website.
 
THE SCOOP :
        9 intense thrash metal songs from these teens. This cassette release became an instant local classic with the song “Hold Your Breath” & it’s political punch.
      The skill level of this band was amazing & the hard work quickly brought them a record deal
 with ‘Fringe Records’ based in Toronto Canada. They did some heavy touring with such bands as SNFU, NOFX, Dayglo Abortions, Death Angel, Sacrifice & much more. 
       The band began playing locally at the Cadillac Tavern in Blenhiem, doing all ages shows. Generation Zero still holds on as one of the best demos released by a local band in the harder music genre. 

TRACK LISTING
SIDE 1
Plastic Cast, Political Dismay, Ignorant Advice, Hold Your Breath
SIDE 2
Another Perfect World, Technological Noose, Endangered, Generation Zero, Embodied Frustrations

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Review below from here.        
Generation Zero was the shit back-in-the-day… and it still holds up nicely. This, MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION’s second demo, is full of dizzyingly complex Thrash Metal riff-a-thons that twist and turn in so many directions that your head’ll spin. Vocalist Rob Johnston adds a bit of a crossover vibe to the whole thing with a Punkish delivery and politically charged lyrics… for some reason Animosity era C.O.C. comes to mind. The rhythm section hints at Germany’s VENDETTA, while the guitar playing shows a bit of a Bay Area influence… think VIO-LENCE’s aggression mixed with TESTAMENT-ish riffing. The playing is fantastic throughout, and all the elements combine to create an orgiastic, no-holds-barred, all-out Thrashfest. Really hard to pick a favourite, but “Technological Noose” is excellent, as is the title track. Downloading is a must! Internet review.
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2010 Update
  I just want to go on record as saying that this demo from this young metal cross over band is still the most brilliant and ambitious recording to ever come from Chatham Ontario. In 2010, the political point this album makes is still relevant today. The musicianship is energetic, real, raw, angry, sympathetic, and 100%  chemistry  driven from this high school aged band. M.A.D. changed line ups in the following years and released 2 more Cd’s ‘Tabboo of the Western World’ and ‘Songs for the Ugly’. What can’t be denied is the fact that this album alone has more reality than most young bands could ever dream of capturing in a lifetime, whether it be metal, punk, rock, country, or soul music. S. Beaulieu. 
 

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M.A.D. – Decisions, Decisions (1988)

First Demo from M.A.D.

Artist: Mutually Assured Destruction
Home: Chatham
Release Title: Decisions, Decisions
Genre: Hard Rock / Metal
Date: 1988 ( possibly 1987)

Musicians:
John Fenton – Vocals
Rob Johnston – Guitars
Mat Davis – Guitar
Ted Hart – Bass
Walt Perin – Drums

The Scoop: This was their first demo. The band quickly became the areas favorite underground band. John Fenton moved out of town in pursuit of a music career leaving Rob to Take over the vocal duties for the next release. The band would go on to record a few records with Fringe.

Track Listing.
Side 1
Smile, Agitate, Social Decline, Dream Of Peace

Side 2
Into The Void, Waste, The Curtain Falls

 

 

Update: In 2004, John Fenton joined the Toronto band Automan.ca as the bass player. http://automan.ca/
Update 2016: Mat Davis heads the Doom Metal Band ‘Castle’, based in San Fran. U.S.A., busy touring Europe, Canada, & The U.S.A.
John Fenton recently joined as bass player for Canadian 80’s rock band ‘Killer Dwarfs’. They continue to tour USA & Canada.

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M.A.D. – Taboo Of The Western World (1991)

M.A.D.

Found This,  CD Download Here: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?zudgzdimjht

Members:
Rob Johnston – Vocals, Guitar
Mat Davis – Guitars
Jeff McFadden – Bass
Terry Hart – Drums

Tracklist:
1.Is Life… Generation Zero
2.Strait-Jacket Memories
3.Special Olympics
4.Hold Your Breath
5.These Days
6.Technological Noose
7.Transparent Solutions
8.Plastic Cast… For M

   This Chatham based band just gets signed to Fringe Records (Toronto), Walt leaves his drumming position, Terry Hart takes over, & the new CD hits stores.
    The band toured the underground scene & quickly became as talked about as the legends of Punk/Thrash/ Metal they were opening for.
    The CD itself is great & is still as relevant today. The Mad were always known for writing music that had a purpose or message. The Mad were getting airplay across the country on college radio & began playing shows in the U.S.A. for the first time ever.

    This is one band I looked up to. I was lucky enough to be called in to do some shows with them on bass. I was a big fan & already knew how to play their songs so that got me in the door.  I was 17 & happy as s**t. We did a leg of a tour with Dayglo Abortions. NOFX played a date on the bill. They drove up in a little white van back then.  Thanks for taking me out with ya guys. Interesting.

Watch CD Video preview below.

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