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Sons of Ishmael are a Canadian hardcore punk band formed in Meaford, Ontario in 1984, later relocating to Toronto, Ontario. Over several line-up changes, they performed over 135 shows in 13 countries before disbanding in 1992.

History

The band was formed by singer Tim Freeborn and bassist Ken Campbell in 1984 as Angry Thalidomide Babies before changing their name to Sons Of Ishmael. Playing punk rock in a small town in the early 80’s marginalized the band amongst their peers and the new name was adopted to identify with the status of Ishmael, a biblical outcast^[1]. The band self-released their first 7”, Hayseed Hardcore, in spring of 1985, selling the first pressing in just a few months.

The band went on hiatus for 10 months, re-locating to Toronto in the fall of 1985. New members were added and they began playing again in the spring of 1986. The band recorded the album Pariah Martyr Demands a Sacrifice (the name of the artwork adorning the front cover) in early 1987 and toured through the US and Canada that summer. Released in both the US and the UK, it was considered a disappointment as the album suffered from poor sound quality^[2].

As members pursued post-secondary education, 1988 and 1989 saw the band playing only 10 gigs during that time but managed to find time to release the 7” Sons Of Ishmael Sing Generic Crap. The recording’s title was given to the band by an audience heckler^[3]. While several of the songs were of a similar sound to their previous recordings, on many tracks the band began to depart, both lyrically and musically, from a formulaic hardcore sound; a trend that would continue.

In 1990 the band left for a European tour with Bristol, UK quartet Nessun Dorma. During time off in Germany, they recorded their final disc Mimsy With The Borogoves (a phrase taken from the book Alice In Wonderland) which was released a year later on 10” vinyl in Germany only. In 1991 they were back in Europe for another tour as well as several US and Ontario dates.

The group called it quits after playing a final show in Ottawa in January of 1992.

Members

Tim Freeborn - Vocals (1984-1992)
Ken Campbell - Bass (1984-1985)
Glenn “Ditch Dog” Poirier - Guitar (1984-1989)
Andrew Brideau - Guitar (1984-1985)
Dave Nanderam - Drums (1984-1986)
Paul Morris - Guitar (1985-1992)
Steve Bator - Drums (1986)
Mike Canzi - Guitar, Bass (1986-1992)
Chris Black - Drums (1986-1992)
Dave Walsh - Guitar (1989)
Daragh Hayes - Bass (1989-1992)

Discography

Full Releases

1985 - Hayseed Hardcore - 7"
1987 - Paraiah Martyr Demands A Sacrifice - 12"
1988 - Sing Generic Crap - 7"
1991 - Mimsy With The Borogoves - 10"
2010 - Hayseed Hardcore ( to be re-released in 2010 with extra tracks) - 12"

Compilations

1987 - Still Thinking - 7"
1991 - No Taste - 7"

References

^ CIUT-FM Radio Interview: http://equalizingxdistort.blogspot.com/search/label/SONS%20OF%20ISHMAEL
^ Neurotic Text: http://neurotictext.blogspot.com/2006/05/sons-of-ishmael.html
^ CIUT-FM Radio Interview: http://equalizingxdistort.blogspot.com/search/label/SONS%20OF%20ISHMAEL

Links

Sons Of Ishmael Website [1]
Blogged and Quartered [2]
CIUT-FM Radio Interview 2010 OF ISHMAEL

[1] CIUT-FM Radio Interview: http://equalizingxdistort.blogspot.com/search/label/SONS%20OF%20ISHMAEL

[2] Neurotic Text: http://neurotictext.blogspot.com/2006/05/sons-of-ishmael.html

[3] CIUT-FM Radio Interview: http://equalizingxdistort.blogspot.com/search/label/SONS%20OF%20ISHMAEL

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