Spawned at Scottish town of Edinburgh in 1980, THE EXPLOITED were created as answer to the ever-present “No Future” attitude of the time, as opposed of just being unemployed, those four fellas decided to kick ass and if they’d be without a proper job, at least they’d be doing it with some style! Gathering ex-squaddie Wattie Buchan (vocals), Big John Duncan (guitar), Dru Stix (drums) and Gary McCormack (bass), THE EXPLOITED have been a raw and rough outlet right from the start, not diluting their music for public consumption. THE EXPLOITED were punk rock.
Just a year within their young history, THE EXPLOITED released their debut attempt »Punk's Not Dead« in 1981 on the Secret label, which was more of a much a rallying battle cry rather than just a record. The record title became somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy, charting at #1 as the independent album of the year (before most of the Indies were just majors in disguise), reaching number 20 in the national charts and selling 150,000 copies.
Though »Punk's Not Dead« surely isn’t the greatest record ever made, as an opening gambit it was unbeatable and live, the band was nothing but incredible. The long hot summer of '81 saw the UK going up in flames. Real anarchyas city after city, town after town exploded! A perfect time for THE EXPLOITED to co-headline the legendary “Apocalypse Now” tour with fellow punk giants, DISCHARGE. The sold out London show (at the Lyceum Ballroom) took place just one day after the Brixton riots. By October THE EXPLOITED hit the single charts with the violently evocative ‘Dead Citie’, leading to arguably the most ferocious performance ever seen on Top Of The Pops, causing numerous complaints and another massive UK tour.
»Fuck The System«, their eighth studio album, released in 2003 sees the band more explosively than ever, riotous, unrepentant and completely uncompromising. Tracks like 'Never Sell Out' and 'Chaos Is My Life' (both self-explanatory) are as brutally heavy as anything the next newbie punk assault is able to offer. Proving without any doubt that, not only is there life in those grumpy old bones, but the fucker's got rabies! »Fuck The System« isn't just an album title; it's a statement of intent. But then, it is a punk rock album, and make no mistake.
THE EXPLOITED are punk rock!
