Disengaged’s Finale: The Day Punk Metal Died
By
John Mortell
Last Saturday night on April 2nd, Disengaged, a Boston-based punk metal band notorious for inciting riots, took the stage at Dee Dee’s Lounge on Newport Avenue in Quincy, to play their final show to a full house. They went out on top of their game. The tall and wiry front man simply known as Beakey quickly captivated the head-banging crowd with his lung splitting shrieks in the first song “Open Wound,” from their latest cd “The Ocean.” The heavily-tattooed crowd consisted of beer-swigging long-haired men and women attired in ripped jeans, heavy metal shirts, and metal studded belts. It was a perfect marriage of punk and metal. They began the show with a song off their latest cd “The Ocean” and then made a smooth transition into the intoxicating melody of “Decomposing pile of Ex-Girlfriends.” But this wasn’t your basic metal power chords or simple three-chord punk tunes. The elaborate chord changes arranged by lead guitarist Charlie Lyons and rhythm guitarist John Moran sang like sirens as members of the band thrashed about on stage, occasionally spilling into the crowd.
Some hardcore fans of Disengaged simply stood in the corners of the bar double-fisted, steadily rocking their bodies gently in unison to the pulsating rhythm of Jamie “Curbkick” Fortado’s drums and Eddy McNamara’s bass while lip-synching the lyrics in a steady and sad chant to the band’s last performance. The next song “Murder the World” sent the walls and attendees into frenzy as several TVs displayed constant images of people from all over the world mourning the death of Pope John Paul II. The contrast between the band and the Pope no doubt sent chills through the crowd, as it truly exposed the dark side of punk. They also played a few songs from their self-titled first EP. “Less talk more rock” and “Rerun.” The set ended at 1:00 a.m., clearly to everyone’s dismay, as the band was forced to play one last song: the band decided on the theme from Beverly Hills 90210.
The origins of Disengaged began in the autumn of 1999 in Fortado’s basement. They started out as a punk band that was a spoof on the 80s television show “Full House.” They even called themselves F.H.C. (Full House Crew) and dedicated their songs to John Stamos’ talent for solving family issues and most importantly: his mullet. They were rooted in punk but slowly progressed to thrash metal, and then a healthy mix of punk and metal. Since F.H.C. didn’t exactly take themselves seriously, the band didn’t last long. And they split the following year. But from the ashes of their Stamosian aggression came Disengaged, which officially formed in 2001 after a couple of replacements. “We’re still very much infatuated with mullets and John Stamos, but we really matured. Now our songs tend to touch upon the themes of dead ex-girlfriends and the apocalypse,” said Beakey. Disengaged released their self-titled EP a few months later with the help of Not Common Records, owned and managed by Joe McNamara. Not Common Records represents several other notorious local punk and metal bands such as Abhorred, Raising Kubrick, Conifer, and Phantom Limb.
Most fans viewed Disengaged as the epitome of a die-hard punk metal band, and well-established within the genre of punk metal. They also brought their own special brand of theatrical performances to the music scene; something that has gotten them thrown out of pubs all over New England for inciting riots. Disengaged has been kicked out of too many clubs and bars to count, all the way from Portland, Maine, to O’Brien’s in Allston, Jarrod's Place in Attleboro, and the Middle East in Cambridge for their “unruly” behavior. “But they always seem to let us back in and play,” said Ed McNamara. “It’s like they can’t get enough; it’s a love/hate relationship.”
“It’s actually pretty innocent. I usually just jump head first into the crowd to express my appreciation and happiness,” said Beakey, “And the next thing I know people are moshing and punching each other. Go figure.” But their final show produced no violence, so it seems as though the band really has matured.
“When I think of punk metal, I think of Disengaged. They were the band that put my label on the map,” said Joe McNamara “It sucks to see them go, but who knows, we may have a reunion tour some day.” Perhaps Disengaged will play again, but for now they’ve gone the way of the Pope, and took punk metal with them.
For information on Not Common Records and Disengaged go to www.notcommonrecords.com.
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