Ok, here’s the skinny I suppose.
Green Beret was started in central Alabama around 1996 by Jon Hangnail and a drum machine. Initial influences were the Residents, Repulsion, Macabre, and Gary Numan. "They" released the Elbow Dropping Mania demo cassette in 1997.
Blood n’ Guts Murphy joined on bass and screaming in 1998, and the Orchestrated Devastation demo tape was released later that year.
The boys then met Sir Megaslam, drummer extraordinaire, the Black Widow, synthesizer destructrix, and Dr. Death, throat ripping madman. These geniuses formed a live lineup. They recorded about 15 songs and used them on several 7"s - a split with Godstomper, a split w/ Molotov Khomenis, and a 4-way split w/ Sheeva Yoga, the Hub, and Tres Hombres, which were released on various labels at various times between 1999 and 2003.
They recorded a s/t CD in 2000 and released it on Pink Pentagram Records, which is a fancy way of saying they pressed it themselves. Emergence Records out of France released an alternate version of this CD in 2001 or 2002, with film-noir inspired artwork.
The live lineup spent most of 1999-2002 playing all ages gigs, bar shows, and house parties in and around Alabama. I don’t think they ever got out of the state. Other bands and college got in the way of further playing.
Blood n’ Guts Murphy recorded and released a demo cassette of synth orchestral arrangements of the 5-part grind opera "The Garden of Green Beret" on his tape label, Nanoforce Records, in 2003. He also recorded a few tracks with digi-grinders The Electrocutionerdz.
Sir Megaslam and the Black Widow got married in 2002.
Founding member, musical genius, and radical motherfucker Blood n’ Guts Murphy passed away in 2004, and Green Beret permanently called it quits.
Prolapse Records (australia) released the retrospective "Out of Control" discography in 2005. This cd features tracks from all of the cassette demos and 7"s, the collabs with the Electrocutionerdz, and other relatively rare stuff. Everything the band did that is worth hearing, besides the s/t CD from 2000, is on this disc.
Jon Hangnail went on to play with The Hell and The Necronomikids.
Blood n’ Guts Murphy played with Jon Hangnail from 1998-2002ish in Mala Agua, the Bad Ideas, the Faceless Three, and Pelvic Thrust
Sir Megaslam played in Blip, Scream Queen, CombiChrist, Panzer AG, The Necronomikids, and w/ Lauren Krothe.
the Black Widow played Blip, Scream Queen, Panzer AG, and does her solo stuff as Lauren Krothe.
Dr. Death started the electro-terror project EES!.
The self-titled CD is still available from us for $6 US / $8 world
via paypal to [email protected], or concealed cash / MO to
Jon Ezell
pob 2533
Tuscaloosa, AL, 35403 USA
