TSOL Is Los Angeles Punk, One Of The Premiere Hardcore Bands, Formed By Four Pasty Faced Youths

In the early years of Los Angeles punk, one of the premiere hardcore bands was TSOL which stood for True Sounds of Liberty. Offering poppier music than many of their contemporaries and featuring an image that appealed to punks who wanted to dive deeper into the gothic subgenre already being offered by many British punk bands, TSOL became hugely popular on the local scene but never translated that success to national exposure because of their ever shifting lineup and sound. Formed in 1978 by four pasty faced youths with a passion for the emerging hardcore scene, TSOL was originally based in Huntington Beach California, Featuring the lineup of vocalist Jack Grisham, guitarist Ron Emory, bassist Mike Roche, and drummer Todd Barnes, the band burst onto the local club scene with an image that included white face paint and dark, energetic anthems about alienation and troubled youth. A few members had already tried their luck with a band called Vicious Circle, so gigs in the South Bay and Orange County were easy to get despite many of those shows ending with riots that would ban them from the very same clubs. A politically fueled eponymous EP would be the band's first official release, and its emotional sound and vicious attitude were enough to ensure their standing as a major force in the scene. Playing around California with contemporaries like the Damned and the Dead Kennedys, they managed to write enough material to finally release a full length record. A brief visit to the studio resulted in Dance with Me, a phenomenal gothic punk record that paved the way for bands like the Misfits and the Lords of the New Church to make similar music. Finding their niche the band began headlining major shows with young bands like Bad Religion, Suicidal Tendencies and Social Distortion often opening. The self described Orange County Invasion had begun, and they were the first band to reap the benefits of the new sound. The group moved to Jello Biafra's fledgling Alternative Tentacles label which promptly released the Weathered Statues EP at the end of the year, Despite its melodic leanings, no one could have predicted the next step. Beneath the Shadows was released in 1982 and blew away all the preconceived notions about the group's sound. TSOL had put out a record that equaled Meat Loaf when it came to sheer sonic pomposity but still retained their gothic punk leanings, Fans were mildly confused, but the band garnered rave reviews and was featured in director Penelope Spheeris' Suburbia documentary as a result. But internal troubles were brewing, and their ever growing popularity was tempered by the loss of both Grisham and Barnes. Pausing only briefly, TSOL trudged on with new singer Joe Wood and drummer Mitch Dean.
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