The Terrorists' name is the first giveaway that they are a relic of a different era -- then you hear the music and you know for sure. They were a bunch of New York City kids whose interest in dub and reggae predated that of the U.K. punk community (The Clash, Madness, The Specials, et al) by several years. Founded by drummer Dro in 1977, the loose-knit collective kept dance floors crazed at clubs throughout New York (CBGB's, Max's Kansas City, Tramp's) with a propulsive brand of punky reggae that caught the attention of superstar dub producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. This was a time during which Perry parted with his Jamaican house band The Upsetters and traveled widely, forging musical partnerships wherever he went, of which the The Terrorists were one of the first. He offers some typically lunatic toasting on a few of the group's dubbier tracks, like the stoned, whimsical single "Guerilla Priest." Rolando Alphonso of the legendary ska institution The Skatalites also joined forces with the group, sounding out his mellifluous sax tones over the group's smoky, groovy island rhythms. The Terrorists' music feels closer in tenor and flavor to the ska, reggae, and dub they were inspired by than the bands of the U.K. Two Tone movement. The ROIR release Forces, documenting all the group's recorded output over their five-year existence, including their collaborations with Perry and Alphonso -- nearly all culled from a few singles and compilation tracks -- offers an engaging and invaluable snapshot of a moment in time when Bob Marley was introducing the earthy pleasures of roots reggae to mainstream music audiences and punks were discovering the hypnotic magic of dub rhythms.
Jesse Ashlock
last updated:
09/10/02
