Attitude Adjustment was an old school hardcore punk and crossover thrash band formed in the early 1980s in the Bay Area of San Francisco.
The band was formed by Chris Kontos, Eric Smith and Rick Strahl in early 1985. The line up was expanded by the addition of Kevin Reed on vocals. This lineup played a number of initial shows at Ruthies Inn, the New Method, the Mabuhay Gardens and other Bay Area venues. Several months later due to personal issues, Kevin Reed was replaced by Andy Andersen and Chris Scapparo joined as a second guitarist. They shortly went into the studio to record the Dead Serious Demo in 1985. The demo was recorded at Peter Miller Studios and engineered by Eric Kauschen.
Attitude Adjustment played frequent gigs throughout the Bay Area and California alongside bands like Forbidden (Known as Forbidden Evil at that time), Vio-Lence, Sacrilege, Possessed, Hirax, Death Angel, R.K.L., Dr. Know, Suicidal Tendencies, Corrosion of Conformity, D.R.I., Discharge, UK Subs, Neurosis, The Exploited and Operation Ivy, among others in 1986 and 1987. The band finally released their debut album, American Paranoia released on Pusmort Records. A masterpiece of the North American hardcore, this album was one the pioneers of the "crossover" between hardcore and thrash metal.
At the end of 1987 Andy Andersen, Chris Scaparro and Rick Strahl joined up with former Condemned to Death guitarist Keith Chatham to form Condemned Attitude which later turned into Attitude and then in 1990 to Two-Bit Thief.
Attitude released two more records (an LP and an EP), taking a more thrash metal direction, with Andy Andersen returning to his initial style of singing. Different drummers and bassists (Rick Strahl took the guitar job alongside Chris Scaparro) were part of the lineup at this time and Eric Brecht eventually took the drum spot.
Chris Kontos, Eric Smith and Kevin Reed continued on with Attitude Adjustment and in 1988, this new lineup released the EP No More Mr. Nice Guy, again on Pusmort Records, which is very different from American Paranoia. In 1991, they returned to the name Attitude Adjustment, and with the original line up to record their last studio album, Out Of Hand, again mixing hardcore with thrash metal.
In 1993, the American Paranoia LP and the No More Mr. Nice Guy EP were re-issued on CD. The LP version includes the Dead Serious demo.
Discography:
Dead Serious, demo 1985
End the Warzone, compilation 1986, One Step Ahead
American Paranoia, lp 1986, Pushed
Destructions End flexy 1987, Thrasher Magazine
No More Mr. Nice Guy, lp 1988, A Matter Of Image (limited to 1000). Uk press by In Your Face in 1991
Out Of Hand, sampler casset 1991
Out Of Hand, lp 1991, In Your Face
Pusmort View, compilation 1992, Pusmort
American Paranoia And More (Dead Serious demo) cd 1993, Bitzcore
Out Of Hand / No More Mr.Nice Guy cd 1993, Bitzcore
True To The Trade 7" 1996, Rise Above It
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