Chicago in the 1990s cranked out a healthy heap of great bands - some that went on to cult stardom and others who remain virtually unknown to all but the punks lucky enough to live in regional proximity or the ones who passed through on tour. I was in the latter group, and in 1996 we played a show at a very unwelcome bar set up by South Side Rich from MOB ACTION (pumps fist in the air and exclaims "Hey-ul Yeah!! We gonaa get all Cuh-RAZY and shit!! - if you've ever me him, then you know exactly the move about which I type). The bar hated us, and Rich raided their liquor as we were walking out the door, but I was talking to some dudes from the other band in the parking lot. The other band was SUBURBAN REFUGEE, whose EP on Beer City and split with Eugene's most unfortunately named band BIG BUBBA are languishing in a $1 bin near you at this very moment. SUBURBAN REFUGEE ruled hard, and were super nice dudes, and after they were done PRONOUNCED DEAD came out of their ashes (at least two, maybe three of the same dudes?). SUBURBAN REFUGEE were good...PRONOUNCED DEAD fukkn kill on this demo. Six songs of breakneck downtuned thrashing crust assault, when the bass takes it (like "Withdrawn Today...Gone Tomorrow" specifically), there's just an indiscernible low end rumble tiding you over until you get your head handed to you. These weren't the cool Chicago kids that the record traders went apeshit over, these were the ones doling out the hardcore out of sheer necessity. My point is: I'm glad I played show in that shitty bar.
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