Glycine Max started around late 1986, early 87 in La Mirada, California with Al-cohol on lead vocals, Brian Omen on guitar, John G. on bass, and Raygunn on drums. We started the band because we all lived together and Raygunn and John G. were putting out a benefit compilation tape to raise money for an anarchist center in LA. And since we all lived together, we thought we would start a band to make up a few songs for the comp. Raygunn wrote the music, taught it to Brian, who taught it to John while Raygunn came up with a drum beat. Since he was the only one who could somewhat keep a beat. We put two piece of shit, five piece drum sets together, and spray painted them flat black.
We came up with the name Glycine Max because we were all either vegetarians or vegans, and Glycine Max is the scientific name for the soybean plant. So the name was kind of a joke because we weren’t really serious about starting a band. We made up four songs for that compilation tape and we liked the way it came out. So we decided to keep the band going and make up more songs. Our first show was a backyard party in Garden Grove with Apocolypse, A//Solution, Pestilance and e few more that I cant remember right now.
After that, Al quit the band because we were playing too fast ( Raygunn only knew two drum beats, really fast double bass grindcore style, or a slow rock-n-roll type of beat ). So Raygunn switched to lead vocals, and we found someone who could actualy play the drums named Barry, who lived down the street and was one of John’s old friends. We carried on with this lineup for a year or so playing various shows and putting out one demo. Then Barry left the band as seeming to have lost interest. He was replaced by longtime friend Rick Kurtz (formally from Body Count (not the Ice T one)). We carried on with this lineup for another year or so playing shows and parties and putting out another demo. Due to Rick's tight as fuck D-beat style of drumming, this was our hardest, fastest lineup that we ever had. The farthest we traveled was to Las Vegas, with friends A//Solution, Apocalpse, and Confrontation. A caravan of 11 cars full of people, one guy even followed on a motorcycle. Everytime we stoped to take a piss at a gas station (which was was about everyother exit), everyone would steal beer and munchies. There was so many punks, that the attendent didn't know what to do. There we played with a local band, The Atomic Gods. None of us slept the few days we were there. Great memories.
Around this time John G., Al-cohol, and our roadie/’manager’ crusty Marky D., along with some other friends, all went to England to hang out with Extreme Noise Terror, Hellbastard, and Doom.They took demos and shirts to spread our noise from back home. By this time Raygunn had relocated to Long Beach to be closer to friends Marky D, Jeff Fries, John Callhoun, and Sean Unsil, which then made up THE LONG BEACH CRUSTCORE.
Next, Rick got hit on a motorcycle by a mail truck, which unabled him to continue playing the drums. So Al-cohol rejoined the band on drums, which changed the sound a bit, to a more heavier metal sound, as opposed to the discharge style as before. Next lineup change came when Brian had to leave the band, due to drug problems. Raygunn and John were in a dilemma, because neither one could play guitar and and/or bass and sing at the same time. We tried having two bass players and no guitar (one clean and one distorted), which didn’t work out too well. After trying it a few times, Raygunn ended up getting stuck doing vocals and guitar.
Around this time, Glycine Max traveled to San Fransisco to play the 1989 anarchist convention. while there, they played a show at Gilman St. for the convention. Adding friends John Callhoun and Jay ‘Sheepdog’ to the band on vocals, so more friends could get in for free. They didn’t know all the words but they faked it good enough. John G. and Raygunn (drunk), were laughing hysterically. At the show were new friends that we made at the festival, from Minneapolis and New York including Amy from Nausea and Felix Von Havoc from Destroy.
Next, Al-colhol left the band and joined Mindrot, being replaced by Mark Hall, formally of Apocalypse. This was the final lineup for Glycine Max. (Raygunn- guitar/vocals, John G.- bass/vocals, Mark Hall-drums).
We then recorded a 7", which was to be released on a record label from San Fransisco. The recording and artwork were sent off and the label folded and was never to be heard from again. The band continued on playing numerous shows with bands such as Mindrot, Filth, Econochrist, Neurosis, etc…, and doing a west coast tour in January of 1990 with Nausea from New York. Glycine Max continued playing until late 1991 when Mark had to leave town due to personal problems. With friends so close, and a lineup so tight.... when one leaves he can never be replaced. So Glycine Max called it quits.
About five years later in 1996, Raygunn and Marky D., while traveling back and forth from Long Beach to Oakland (for illegal purposes), ran into the girl who was supposed to put out the EP five years earlier at a party in Oakland. She was really nice and sorry, and said she still had the recording and art work. She went home and got it for us and brought it back to the party.
After returning to the L.B.C., Raygunn and John G. went to work on the art work for a gatefold LP. With the 7" on one side and various demo and live recordings on the other.
John G. started a label called Voltic Records. And together with long time friend, Todd Dystopia's label, Misanthropic. Put out the gatefold LP, six years after the band had broken up.
John G. and Rick Kurtz went on to form Beat To Death. And Raygunn joined Dogma Mundista.
A few years later, Mark Hall moved back to Long Beach and moved in with Raygunn. They got the band back together for a short time with John G. . They made up two new songs, which they never put lyrics to. Mark then got arrested for drunk driving and had to move out of town again. That was the end of Glycine Max once again........The rest is history.
Raygunn and Mark Hall now play in the band Scarred For Life.
www.myspace.com/scarredforlife
