Domination or Destruction: The Story of the Iconoclast
Los Angeles based Iconoclast have been shrouded in mystery for the better part of 35 years. Many tried to track the band down in vein only to come up with empty leads and tips leading to dead ends. The interest in the band is obvious and well deserved. Anarcho thrashers and bashers, the Iconoclast combined the anti-war politics of Crass and sound of Discharge with the raw urgency of American hardcore.
They recorded only a handful of tracks in their brief career lasting from 1983-1985, including an absolutely bombastic demo and a self-titled 7" on Flipside Records. They also appeared on the legendary "P.E.A.C.E." comp and "Flipside Vinyl Fanzine Vol 2," as well as filming three songs for Flipside video captured in a manic live performance.
They may have remained an ultimate cult band forever until punk detectives from Sealed Records (La Vida Es Un Mus Discos and Rugger Bugger Discs) somehow tracked the band down. With their help, Negative Insight proudly brings forth the full story of the Iconoclast in this interview.
Interview replies by Greg and Yaotl (Rene) in early 2020.
Order the Iconoclast "Domination Or Destruction" discography LP on Sealed Records here.
Live footage from the Flipside video can be viewed below:
NI: How did the Iconoclast come together?
Iconoclast: High school friends (Yaotl, Ralph, Nick and Greg) felt compelled to participate in the musical side of punk and give it a go. Nick and Ralph were the talent while Yaotl and Greg were the inspiration/effort.
Hardcore punk from California had a more melodic sound than the Midwest or East Coast hardcore. Was the intent to be harder sounding and influenced by bands from the UK? Which bands were you primarily listening to?
The intentions as a band evolved and changed course over time. Initially, it was just the simple rudiments of being around instruments and trying to figure it out. Then it was trying to find our voice and create songs we weren't entirely embarrassed by. Similarly, tons of bands had an influence on us and what we wanted to sound like over time; endless Los Angeles bands, Teen Idles, Minor Threat, Crass, Rudimentary Peni, Subumans, Crucifix and of course Discharge all played their part in our development. I don't think we were melodic because we didn’t know how to be.
Can you recall how you first got exposed to the English punk bands, particularly stuff like Discharge, The Varukers, etc.?
Word of mouth, sharing tapes, buying records… simple stuff that gets passed around in a small community.
Were you influenced by the politics of the UK bands or were your politics more based on other things from living in Los Angeles?
Like most things, it is a composite of many things we all experience in life. Each of us in the band drew our political influences from a myriad of sources: music, books, social commentators, artist and activists. I can say, when we were young, Crass definitely introduced topics and an aesthetic that was more sophisticated than what we had experienced before.
What was the reception to your sound? Were people into it?
I think it took time because it took us some time to feel comfortable with being the ones making the racket. Our initial shows were a frightening affair. "Please keep the lights off, don't look at us and go about your business pogoing or thrashing." I think when we hit our stride people were into it. We had decent songs, moved around energetically and did our best to be sincere. And to be honest, there were other heavy bands as well at the time.
How did you get on the "Flipside Vinyl Fanzine Vol 2" comp? Did you submit a demo? What led to doing the EP on Flipside?
Our manager at the time Javie Martinez aka Bean had been promoting us sending our tapes to MRR and Flipside, etc. That is how we got interviewed and on the Flipside video fanzine. Anyway, that resulted in our Flipside EP release.
Were there any other labels that were interested in releasing it (local or non)?
No.
How was the EP received? Was it widely distributed? Did you have distribution in Europe and the UK?
Hard to tell honestly. No, only US.
You were included on the "P.E.A.C.E." compilation on R Radical, which was run by Dave from MDC. How did this come up?
I believe Bean began a correspondence with MDC. We owe a great deal to Bean aka Javie Martinez.
Did you have any idea at the time how important or popular that comp would be, and did you get many people writing to you based on your inclusion?
No, we had no idea. And yes, we received many letters of support as a result.
Were you writing with any bands or labels overseas? Did any opportunities ever come up for compilation spots on labels like Rot, Pax or Mortarhate from the UK who were putting out many vinyl comps?
Honestly, no, we felt a bit invisible to the UK. We are ecstatic to be released on an English label now. This is to give you an idea of our sense of invisibility.
Eventually you moved your sound from bombastic Discharge sounding hardcore to a more brooding and dark form of anarchist punk. What brought about this change?
A desire to evolve.
What bands were you listening to during this time?
The Mob and Rudimentary Peni.
Did you ever reach out to labels like All The Madmen (run by The Mob in the UK) or others for a possible release?
No, we never thought it possible for some reason. We heard they lived in the forest (laughter).
What led to the band ending?
I think it was the fact that none of the members of the band were ever chosen to be "Hunky Punky of the Month" in Punk Lives magazine. That truly was the last straw…...
Were there any unrecorded songs? What kind of sound did these have if so?
Unfortunately, no.
The Iconoclast have a reputation as a "lost" band in that no members could be tracked down for many years, there were no official reissues and members were not involved in the punk scene. Was this intentional on your part? Did you not want to be associated with the punk scene, and were you aware how sought after Iconoclast was?
We had no idea. Actually, the bass player became involved in a band called the Wankers a situationist anarchist performance art band. Then Aztlan Underground a Meso/Native American rebel band.
Are you surprised by the level of interest in the band that still exists today?
Yes, of course. It was a pleasant surprise when we reformed and the generosity of those that still care about our band is not lost on us. There are currently so many great and unique bands to support that it is profoundly touching that there is still interest in what we do.
Any final thoughts or anything else to add about the band on the reissue in Sealed Records?
Just that we are humbled and thankful to share our legacy. You have no idea!! Much respect, love, and worldwide resistance for a better world!!
Iconoclast live photos taken by former band manager, Javie Martinez aka Bean.
Photos of Iconoclast s/t 7" on Flipside Records from the collection of Ian Duncanson.
All other photos provided by The Iconoclast and Paco at Sealed Records (LVEUM).
