Battalion of Saints

The band had its nucleus in two other San Diego bands - the Nutrons and the Standbys. Vocalist George Anthony and guitarist Chris Smith formed the Nutrons in 1978, employing a series of bassists and drummers before imploding two years later. During their career, the Nutrons made a name for themselves up and down the West Coast opening for groups like the Dead Kennedys and the Chiefs.

When local punk pioneers the Standbys called it a day in 1980, their drummer, Ted Olson, was recruited. With the addition of bassist Dennis Frame, the Battalion of Saints became a fully-functioning  unit and recorded their 1981 debut - the four-song, 12" EP, Fighting Boys. The music, built on the foundation laid by bands like D.O.A., Black Flag, and the Dead Kennedys, was fiercely political - "Fighting Boys" and "E/B" chastised the imperialist designs of the Reagan administration while "Modern Day Heroes" indicted the news media for glorifying serial killers.

Smith's incredibly fast guitar leads, more reminiscent of Motorhead's "Fast" Eddie Clark than Johnny Ramone, signaled the beginning of hardcore, a scene marked by "crossover" punk groups with an appreciation of gutteral, heavy metal bands.

The band contributed to several compilation albums, foremost of which was Someone Got Their Head Kicked In, featuring BYO lablemates Social Distortion, Youth Brigade, the Adolescents and Bad Religion.