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HISTORY The idea for the band Corporate Avenger was born some time between 1995 and 1996 when Spike and Brad Xavier were on tour in the band Humble Gods. Years later, Spike met with Marco of 1605 Studio in Hunington Beach, California and recorded some songs. In 1999 these songs were released on Suburban Noize records as the 'Taxes are Stealing' EP. This EP featured the first song ever recorded by the group, 'Evolve', a song questioning the origins of the native peoples of the Americas. Judging by the cover of the 'Taxes are Stealing' EP, at this time the band consisted of eight members, including Pakelika of The Kottonmouth Kings . During this phase of the bands' history, the group had an ever-changing line up and no two shows would be alike. Some times the band would show up to a location unannounced, play a few songs, and then leave. In 2000 the group released another CD titled 'The New Testament'. This CD featured new songs as well as three songs from the previous EP. It also featured a new line up including the first appearance of vocalist Adawee the Wind. The sound on 'The New Testament', while still electronic in nature, is much more aggressive and not only pushes the band's views further but also pushes the envelope with songs such as 'The Bible is Bullshit', 'Jesus Christ Homosexual', and 'Enemy of the Gospel'. The CD was seen as a way to bridge the gap between the previous EP and the full length album they were working on at the time. In July of 2001, the band finally released its first full length album, 'Freedom is a State of Mind', released on Suburban Noize Records via Kock Entertainment. The new album had songs from both previous releases, including a few remixes of some of the oldest songs, and several new songs that again evolved the bands sound and message. Songs like 'Christians Murdered Indians', 'FBI File', and 'Voting Doesn't Work' had a hard, aggressive rap sound with Adawee providing sung vocals (a stark change of pace from Spike's angry spoken word vocals). 2005 saw the release of 'Born Again', Corporate Avenger's newest CD and newest line up. Spike and Adawee were still the core of the band, but this time around the music had taken on a more metal sound with songs like 'Jihad Schmihad' and 'Gay Muslims for Christ'. This album was not put out through Suburban Noize Records but rather through Massive Sound Records and sold via Merch.com, a first for the group. 'Born Again' also saw the departure of The Taxman , who claimed to leave the band to work on a solo record. Currently the band is seeing a second printing of its newest album, this time with new artwork, and have plans to return to the studio to begin work on their next release. They may also be moving on from Corporate Avenger and go by the name Sitting Bull more on that at {Link without Title} FACE PAINT Corporate Avenger are a band with a very distinct visual asthetic. Its core members - Spike 'Corporate' Xavier and Adawee the Wind - both wear black and white face paint. Spike, donning a white face with a black cross, paints his face to "symbolize the suffering that his ancestors had received at the hands of Christianity." Adawee wears various kinds of paint, all meant to "remind him of his ancestors (the Cherokee Indians) who would paint their face when they went to war, and says that they are also fighting a war; a war of ideas." BELIEFS Spike and Adawee have stated in the past that they do not attempt to speak for all Native American people and only speak for themselves, but the band uses their music to reveal their truth about America's past. Songs like '20 Dollar Bill' and 'Christians Murdered Indians' provide historical analysis about what was done to the Native Americans at the hands of both early white settlers and Spanish Christian invaders. The group also sing about political awareness in songs like '(I Don't) Fault the Police' and 'Taxes are Stealing'. Another major facet of the band's message is a belief in the evil of the major organized religions. In the song 'The Bible is Bullshit' the band sings about how the Bible and the Koran are responsible for a large portion of the worlds pain, suffering, and bloodshed. At the same time, it is difficult to listen to Corporate Avenger's lyrics without being reminded of particularly ignorant 15 year olds making bold statements based on limited understanding and deliberately trying to be contraversial. A case in point is Taxes Are Stealing, which proclaims that "taxes are stealing and I get the feeling that we're getting fucked in the ass....Your constitution, the laws that they've made say that they can tax your income so they do it every day". The message from this seems reasonably clear. Taxation is a form of stealing, it is wrong, it should be abolished. It doesn't take a genius to work out that whilst it might be nice to abolish taxation, the majority of societies would not survive this. Perhaps recognising this absurdity, Corporate Avenger backtrack from this position in the sleeve note to the song, stating: "we are not suggesting that we eliminate taxation, that is not realistic under our current system. We are simply voicing our opposition to what they spend our money on". Whereas in reality the song does suggest eliminating taxation, or at least voices opposition to taxation's existence, and makes no mention whatsoever or opposing what taxes are spent on. The sleeve note continues: "we are forced to contribute to some policies we consider to be inhumane. The tax system helps to pay for the enforcement of the war on drugs which has filled our prisons with non-violent offenders, often times who are victims of the sickness of addiction. The drug market has been forced underground where people don't have the option of a court of law in which to argue their differences...." Again, this has nothing to do the message of the song and whilst the sleeve note raises valid issues on drug enforcement and obliquely raises issues on the efficacy of democracy, it does not take even an 18 year old politics student to see the unworkability of a system where people can choose precisely which programmes their taxes support. RELEASES Taxes are Stealing EP (1999, Suburban Noize Records) Taxes Are Stealing E.P.K VHS (1998-2000, Suburban Noize Recrods) The New Testament LP (2000, Suburban Noize Records) Freedome is a State of Mind LP (2001, Suburban Noize/Koch Records) Freedome Is A State Of Mind E.P.K VHS(2001, Sububan Noize Records Born Again LP (2005, Massive Sound Records) EXTERNAL LINKS |
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