"Screams From The Gutter:" The Sound of Raw Power Hits America
Raw Power's "Screams From The Gutter" LP was one of those records that ups the ante in a given genre. Recorded in 1984, its unbridled and unhinged sound kept the evolution of the hardcore sound moving. Bill of Toxic Shock (now Toxic Ranch/Westworld) released the record in 1985 and shares the story of how the album came to happen.
I saw Raw Power play in 1984 at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, opening for the Dead Kennedys, along with Reagan Youth, Solucion Mortal, B.G.K. and Riistetyt. They really stood out from the pack that night. Shortly after the show, I caught a phone call at Toxic Shock from Paul Mahern in Indianapolis. We had been distributing the "Master Tape" compilation LP. He said he had just recorded this band from Italy called Raw Power and asked if I was interested in hearing a demo tape. I said yes, of course I had just seen them live and they were amazing!
In a few days a cassette arrived. I remember the first song on it was "Start a Fight". I was blown away. I thought it was brilliant. Such raw energy, powerful drumming. The fluid bass lines and the exhilarating dual guitars, Giuseppe's riffs and Davide's insane solos, all captured by crystal clear production. The singer didn't sound at all Italian. The vocals were almost like Lemmy's of Motörhead. I never heard anything like it before.
I wrote to Vince Rancid to see if he could come up with an image to match the album title. I had used Vince's artwork before on Toxic Shock mail order catalogs and regretted not using his submission for my "Barricaded Suspects" compilation LP. But unfortunately Pushead's artwork arrived in the mail before I got Vince's and it was already sent off to the printer. So I really wanted him to tackle this project. He sent me the actual film separations for four color printing, as there was no such thing as digital back then. I did the back cover using rub on lettering and cut and paste the photos, etc.
Murray Bowles (RIP) walked into Toxic Shock one day and showed me some photos he took of Raw Power August 31 of '84 at Eastern Front in Berkeley. I was in touch with Mauro, the singer by mail and the occasional phone call and he had sent me handwritten lyrics, but no band photos. I used Murray's shots for the back cover and the lyric sheet insert, using my IBM Selectric typewriter, which I also used for the lettering on the spine. I chose the color scheme and sent it all off to the printer at Tabb Rex, who was pressing records for MDC, Feederz,. Dicks, Dwight Yoakam and BYO Records to name a few.
When "Screams from the Gutter" was being mastered at K-Disc in Hollywood, my wife and I noticed Henry Rollins in the hall getting a refill of coffee. SST were mastering the Black Flag album "My War" in another room at the same time. I think ours came out better, but that's like comparing apples to oranges or better yet, espresso to decaf.
I was very happy with how the album came out and was proud to be a part of it. It received great reviews in all the punk fanzines of the time and rightfully so. [Regarding releasing other Italian bands] I really liked Indigesti and I Refuse it, but I had my hands full with Raw Power and Decry. Corrosion of Conformity "Eye for an Eye" was right around the corner.
"Screams From The Gutter" photo outtakes and letters (one each from Mauro and Vince Rancid) from the collection of Bill at Toxic Shock (now Toxic Ranch/Westworld)
Photos of original pressings of "Screams From The Gutter" LP and "Wop Hour" 7" from the collection of Tom of General Speech label and zine
Photo of Raw Power represses on Toxic Shock from the collection of Negative Insight
Raw Power's "Wop Hour" 7" is currently available from Toxic Ranch from here:
