The band. Not the place or the colloquial phrase.

They are the band that influenced Bad Brains.

Wrap your head around that for a moment. Today we are going to talk about the legendary Punk Rock Band, Pure Hell. (Geeze! Even their name is is punk. I am typing this at work, and I have to minimize my screen every-time someone walks by.)

Okay. I am going to be honest. While Pure Hell is not my favorite band, I have nothing but respect for their influence. After all, they influenced not only Bad Brains, but almost every other punk rock band that I love.

Formed in Philadelphia around 1974, Pure Hell is not just a Proto-Punk Band, but they also influenced other genres such as glam rock of the 1970s.

The tragedy of their band history.

They have played along side Sid Vicious, New York Dolls, Patti Smith and other punk acts that everyone remembers. Despite that, no one remembers them. Why? Like many Afropunk bands, they were dismissed from the history of punk rock. Despite the fact that they were so influential to so many punk, hard core, and even metal rockers, few people know who they are. (See the Dazed article where I got some of this info)

The members of Pure Hell were Kenny Gordon, Lenny Boles, Preston Morris, and Michael Sanders. Their stage names were Stinker, Steel, Chip Wreck, and Spider, respectively. Steel Boles once stated, mistakenly, that they were the first Black Punk Band. I guess they didn’t know about Death either.

All I can say about pure hell is this:

• They influcened not just Black Punk Rock, but all punk rock.
• They were truly punks in that they did not give a f*#@ about what other’s think of them (see above photo).
• It is not fair that their history and contribution is largely ignored.

I am going to leave it there. Thank you for reading!!

Remember, the most punk thing you can be is unapologetically you.