METALLIAN - Phobia

Means Of Existence – 1998 – Slap A Ham
Serenity Through Pain- 2001 - Deathvomit
Cruel – 2006 - Willowtip
22 Random Acts Of Violence – 2008 – Willowtip
Loud Proud And Grind As Fuck – 2010 – Deepsix
Remnants Of Filth – 2012 – Willowtip
Lifeless God – 2017 - Willowtip

Members

Vocals

Amnesty, Krigblåst>>SHANE MCLACHLAN [SHANE THE PAIN]>>Amnesty, Krigblåst

Guitar

Mange, Destroyed In Seconds>>Bruce Reeves>> Mange, Destroyed In Seconds - Conscious Alarm>>Steve Burda>>Destroy Judas - Shane Mclachlan – Code/Error, Noisear, Asphyxiator, Kill The Client, Genocaust, Creator|Destroyer, Excruciating Terror>>Dorian Rainwater>>Code/Error, Noisear Creator|Destroyer, Excruciating Terror - CC Loessin – Mange, Destroyed In Seconds>>BRUCE REEVES>>Mange, Destroyed In Seconds

Bass

Apocalypse>>Shawn Bryan>>Apocalypse - Luis Pereyra – Dethshit>>Bruce Reeves - Calum Mackenzie>>Final Conflict - Shane Mclachlan – Exhumed, Infanticide, Intronaut, Impaled, Artificium Sanguis, Destroyed In Seconds, Nausea, Murder Construct, Solo, Terrorizer LA>>Leon Del Muerte>>Exhumed, Intronaut, Impaled, Destroyed In Seconds, Nausea, Murder Construct, Solo, Lightbreaker, Cup O' Grind, Nails, Terrorizer LA – Noisear, Enemies Of Inertia, P.L.F., Gridlink, Kill The Client>>Bryan Fajardo>>Noisear, Enemies Of Inertia, P.L.F., Gridlink, Kill The Client, Cognizant, Triage – Aghori, Splatterhouse, Fall Of The Bastards, Night Nurse, Burning Leather, Askevault, Vastation>>Jason V. Roberts>>Splatterhouse

Drum

Marco Soriano – Carcinogen, Dystopia>>Dino Sommese>>Asunder, Dystopia, Ghoul - John Haddad – Murder Construct, Uphill Battle, Exhumed, Intronaut>>Danny Walker>>Murder Construct, Uphill Battle, Exhumed, Intronaut, Teeth, Bad Acid Trip, Cephalic Carnage, Expulsion, Blind John Pope, O Zorn! - Raymond Banda – Murder Construct, Uphill Battle, Exhumed, Bad Acid Trip, Cephalic Carnage, Intronaut, Blind John Pope, Expulsion, O Zorn!, Teeth>>Danny Walker>>Murder Construct, Blind John Pope, Cephalic Carnage, O Zorn!, Expulsion, Teeth

Keyboard

Jeremy Peeto

History & Biography

Phobia is the rare political grindcore band from the USA, more specifically California that came to being as a result of the dissolution of Apocalypse. Singer Shane Mclachlan has been the band’s mainstay. He, Bruce Reeves, second vocalist Zach Southall and drummer Marco Soriano founded the band. The 1990 demo What Went Wrong could be answered with the phrase, “USA voted for Ronald Reagan.” At that time Relapse was issuing many 7” EPs and released the band’s All That Remains single. The tracks reappeared on the 1993 EP, Return To Desolation. A tour with Capitalist Casualties ensued. Raymond Herrera of Fear Factory was on drums. He had joined in March 1993. The group opened for the likes of Master and Pungent Stench. A follow-up release was 1997’s Enslaved single, which was dedicated to Jesus Christ. In deference it featured keyboardist Jeremy Peeto. Bruce Reeves left in 1997 only to return on bass two years later. He left in 2004, but came back again on guitar in 2016. Slap A Ham also issued the band’s debut record next. The group toured Europe in 1999. The grinders toured Mexico with Anarchus in 2001. Tours with Circle Of Dead Children and Darkest Hour followed. The nicely titled Grind Your Fucking Head In EP came in 2003. Wounds Through Punishment was on heard on the Disturbing Summer 2003 sampler of Displeased Records. The group lost bassist (and sometimes guitarist) Bruce Reeves again in 2004 (he would return in 2016). The band also had yet another new drummer. Impaled’s Leon Del Muerte was with the band on bass between 2005 and 2008 and again on guitar in 2016. A promised split with Pig Destroyer never arrived. Danny Walker was on drums between 2005 and 2009, left and returned in 2016. The band signed with Willowtip Records. Loud Proud And Grind As Fuck was recorded in Chicago, Illinois, USA in 2008. The band sampled the Canadian white trash hick serial Trailer Park Boys on Remnants Of Filth. Shane moved to San Antonio where he lived temporarily. The band toured with Eyehategod. The Grind Core EP arrived in 2014. Lifeless God featured Ivanka and Stormy’s boyfriend on the cover. A 2019 EP, called Generation Coward, again featured Ivanka and Stormy’s boyfriend on the cover. Danny Walker left in 2019. Drummer Ray Banda stepped in.

The band has issued many more EPs, appeared on split records and compilations. The band’s 1997 EP was called Enslaved and guitarist Ivar Bjørnson of the band Enslaved was in a band called Phobia.

Reviews

PHOBIA - SERENITY THROUGH PAIN - DEATHVOMIT/NECROPOLIS
Anyone who likes, supports or buys music from Napalm Death should own one piece of Music from Phobia. It would only be correct to label Phobia the underground's answer to Napalm Death. The implication is not that Phobia is a Napalm clone - just that conceptual and grinding similarities exist. Phobia has endured the whole nineties and beyond without compromise to bring us energy-laden fast and heavy music untarnished by the ravage of the years. In fact when I compare Serenity... with the band's 1993 output, one could argue that this material is both faster and heavier! The message too is on the money. As songs like Sieg Help, Poison Your Mind and B.u.s.h. - and the inside jacket's graphics - demonstrate the California grinders have their heads screwed on the right way. This is some potent stuff to combat the weaknesses of today's scene! - Ali "The Metallian"

PHOBIA - 22 RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE - WILLOWTIP
California grind veteran Phobia returns with what is probably its most caustic record to date (which is saying something, given the group’s early '90s inception), the band eager to not only compete with a new generation of vehemence but to also show the pretenders just who’s boss in the underground grind world. 22 Random Acts Of Violence is a spirited collection of straight-hate grind that also doesn’t shy away from the occasional ultra-groove passages which, in the context of the group’s sick speed, serves 22 Random Acts Of Violence well. Also impressive is Phobia’s occasional Dr. Jeckyll/Mr. Hyde transformation into a crust band, as the crust tracks are top-tier and work in dynamic tandem with the record’s forceful and potent grind. This is an invigorating listen, one that re-affirms Phobia as a leader in this scene. - James Tape

Interviews

Phobia