By The Germs, 2000

Formed in 1977, these angry, snotty-boy punks came on like an L.A. version of the Sex Pistols: sneering, shouting, and provoking violence wherever they performed. Leader Darby Crash was genuinely threatening as he railed against the society that had spawned him. Unfortunately, Crash's dark and destructive side would eventually consume him.

A mere three years after the band's first gig--and in fitting tribute to his hero and role model, Sid Vicious--Crash died of a drug overdose. This anthology documents the Germs' short but furious reign as the kings of L.A. punk sleaze, from their ascension to their eventual decay. It also manages to break through the myths surrounding the band that often overshadow its legitimate contributions to the L.A. hardcore scene.

--Mike Corrigan

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