Randall Desmond Archibald (February 21, 1960 – August 14, 2018), better known by his
stage name
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Randy Rampage, was a Canadian musician and founding member, bass player and vocalist of the Canadian
hardcore
Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to:
Arts and media Film
* ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film
* ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott
* ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
band
D.O.A., along with
Joe Keithley
Joseph Edward "Joey Shithead" Keithley ( né Keighley; June 3, 1956)
is a Canadi ...
and
Chuck Biscuits
Chuck Biscuits (born Charles Montgomery on April 17, 1965) is a Canadian drummer best known for his work in several punk rock bands.
Biscuits was a member of D.O.A. from 1978 to 1982, playing on the band's first two albums before briefly join ...
. They are often referred to as the "founders" of
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier pu ...
along with
Black Flag,
Bad Brains
Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Originally a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power, they are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this ...
,
Angry Samoans
The Angry Samoans is an American punk rock band from the first wave of American punk, formed in August 1978 in Los Angeles, California, by early 1970s rock writer "Metal" Mike Saunders, his sibling lead guitarist Bonze BlaykBad Trip Records ...
, the
Germs,
Negative Trend
Negative Trend was an American punk rock band, active between 1977 and 1979. Before they disbanded, the band released one self-titled EP in September 1978.Charles Strong, Martin''The Great Indie Discography'': Negative Trend Canongate Books Ltd. ...
, and
Middle Class
The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Co ...
. Their second album ''
Hardcore '81
''Hardcore '81'' is an album by the Canadian hardcore punk band D.O.A. It is considered by some to be the first time that a certain style of punk rock was labeled ''hardcore''.
In 2019, the album was named as the public vote winner of the Pol ...
'' was thought by many to have been the first actual reference to the second wave of the American punk sound as
hardcore
Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to:
Arts and media Film
* ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film
* ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott
* ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
.
Hardcore 81
''Hardcore '81'' is an album by the Canadian hardcore punk band D.O.A. It is considered by some to be the first time that a certain style of punk rock was labeled ''hardcore''.
In 2019, the album was named as the public vote winner of the Po ...
included a fourth member of the lineup Dave Gregg.
He was also the lead singer of the
thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
band
Annihilator in 1988–1989 and again from 1998 to 2000.
Musical career
He played on D.O.A.'s seminal early punk albums
Something Better Change
''Something Better Change'' is the debut album by Canadian punk rock band D.O.A. The album was recorded between 1977 and 1980 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and was released in 1980 on the label Can. Friends. (See 1980 in music).
For ...
and
Hardcore '81
''Hardcore '81'' is an album by the Canadian hardcore punk band D.O.A. It is considered by some to be the first time that a certain style of punk rock was labeled ''hardcore''.
In 2019, the album was named as the public vote winner of the Pol ...
, along with vocalist/guitarist
Joey Shithead
Joseph Edward "Joey Shithead" Keithley (né Keighley; June 3, 1956)
is a Canadia ...
, drummer
Chuck Biscuits
Chuck Biscuits (born Charles Montgomery on April 17, 1965) is a Canadian drummer best known for his work in several punk rock bands.
Biscuits was a member of D.O.A. from 1978 to 1982, playing on the band's first two albums before briefly join ...
and guitarist Dave Gregg in
Hardcore '81
''Hardcore '81'' is an album by the Canadian hardcore punk band D.O.A. It is considered by some to be the first time that a certain style of punk rock was labeled ''hardcore''.
In 2019, the album was named as the public vote winner of the Pol ...
. Rampage left D.O.A. in 1981 but returned in the year 2000 after a nearly two-decade absence. He played on their 2002 ''
Win the Battle
''Win The Battle'' is the 12th studio album by Canadian punk rock band D.O.A. The Slogan on the back cover (Talk - Action = 0) was later used as the title for their 2010 release.
All songs are written by Joe Keithley except where noted.
The al ...
'' album but then left the band again. He rejoined D.O.A. in 2007, remained in the lineup through 2008 and was featured on their album, ''Northern Avenger'', produced by
Bob Rock
Robert Jens Rock (born April 19, 1954) is a Canadian record producer, sound engineer and musician, best known for producing rock bands and music artists such as Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, The Tragically Hip, the Cult, ...
. On the eve of the Northern Avenger tour, it was announced that Rampage was leaving D.O.A. once again.
Rampage was the vocalist for the Canadian
speed metal
Speed metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) roots.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' (Berg Publishers, 2007), , p. 31. It ...
/
thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
band
Annihilator. He first joined the band in 1988, appearing on their debut album ''
Alice in Hell
''Alice in Hell'' is the debut studio album by Canadian thrash metal band Annihilator, released on April 17, 1989 through Roadrunner Records. This was the only Annihilator album for ten years to feature Randy Rampage on vocals, until he returne ...
'' (1989), and left after its accompanying tour. Around 1998, Rampage returned to Annihilator and recorded another album with them ''
Criteria for a Black Widow
''Criteria for a Black Widow'' is the seventh studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Annihilator, released on June 1, 1999, by CMC International. It is the only album to feature the reunited ''Alice in Hell''-era line-up (with the exception ...
'' (1999), after which he left once again to rejoin D.O.A.
Rampage recorded a self-titled EP in 1982, Randy Rampage. It featured musicians also known as the Sick Ones,
Chuck Biscuits
Chuck Biscuits (born Charles Montgomery on April 17, 1965) is a Canadian drummer best known for his work in several punk rock bands.
Biscuits was a member of D.O.A. from 1978 to 1982, playing on the band's first two albums before briefly join ...
,
Brad Kent
Bradley Grant Kent (22 June 1958 – 3 February 2016) was a Canadian musician who played guitar with many of the early Vancouver punk rock bands, particularly Victorian Pork, the band which spawned D.O.A., Pointed Sticks and the Subhumans. L ...
, Zippy Pinhead, and Benny Doro.
Randy was a key figure in Susanne Tabata's documentary film ''Bloodied But UnBowed'', a historical look at the birth of the Vancouver punk rock scene and the development of hardcore punk on the West coast of North America during the 1978–1983 timeframe. He appears in this film along with
Art Bergmann
Arthur Frank Bergmann (born February 8, 1953 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who was one of the key figures in Canadian punk rock in the late 1970s.Michael Barclay, Ian A.D. Jack and Jason Schneider, '' Have ...
,
Jello Biafra
Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and politician. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys.
Initially ac ...
,
Joe Keithley
Joseph Edward "Joey Shithead" Keithley ( né Keighley; June 3, 1956)
is a Canadi ...
,
Duff McKagan
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan (born February 5, 1964), sometimes credited as Duff "Rose" McKagan, is an American musician. He played bass for twelve years in the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late ...
,
Henry Rollins
Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1980, Roll ...
,
Ron Reyes
Ron Reyes (born July 24, 1960) is an American musician most noted as the second singer for the Los Angeles punk rock group Black Flag.
Reyes joined Black Flag after original vocalist Keith Morris had quit to form the Circle Jerks. Black Flag ...
(ex-Black Flag),
Penelope Houston
Penelope Houston (born December 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter best known as the singer for the San Francisco-based punk rock band the Avengers. She was raised in Seattle. In the mid-1970s she attended Fairhaven College in Bellin ...
,
Ginger Coyote
The White Trash Debutantes are an American punk rock band from San Francisco, California, United States, active since 1986.
Origins
White Trash Debutante deals with issues of gender equality and transcendence. The band's original line-up fea ...
, Buck Cherry (John Armstrong),
Gerry Hannah
Gerald Richard Hannah (also known as Gerry Useless) was the bass guitarist for the Canadian punk rock group The Subhumans. Hannah was also a member of the armed revolutionary group known as the Squamish Five.
Musical career
Hannah was a member ...
, Jim Cummins AKA I, Braineater, Zippy Pinhead,
Brad Kent
Bradley Grant Kent (22 June 1958 – 3 February 2016) was a Canadian musician who played guitar with many of the early Vancouver punk rock bands, particularly Victorian Pork, the band which spawned D.O.A., Pointed Sticks and the Subhumans. L ...
,
Keith Morris
Keith Morris (born September 18, 1955) is an American singer and songwriter known for his role as frontman of the hardcore punk bands Black Flag, Circle Jerks, and Off!. Born and raised in Hermosa Beach, California, he formed Black Flag at the ...
,
Greg Hetson
Greg Hetson (born June 29, 1961) is an American guitarist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and has lived in the Los Angeles area since he was 2 years old. Active since 1979, Hetson is best known as the guitarist for the influential hardcore pu ...
and many others. Bands featured include
D.O.A.,
Subhumans (Canadian band)
Subhumans were a Canadian punk rock band formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1978.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 157
Known by pejorative, punk rock nicknames, original members were know ...
,
Pointed Sticks
Pointed Sticks are a Canadian punk rock/ new wave band from Vancouver. Originally active from 1978 to 1981, then reuniting to perform in July 2006 through to November 2012. After a three-year hiatus, Pointed Sticks returned to the stage in June ...
,
Young Canadians
Young Canadians (originally The K-Tels) were a Canadian punk rock band formed in Vancouver in 1978 and active for just under two years. The YC's were influenced not only by the other punk bands in town at that time such as D.O.A. and the Pointed ...
,
The Dishrags
The Dishrags (also known as Dee Dee and the Dishrags) were a Canadian all-female punk rock band based in Vancouver, British Columbia in the late 1970s. Now considered the first punk group of note to emerge from the Vancouver music scene, the Di ...
, The Modernettes, among others.
Randy Rampage had many other projects, including Rampage, Stress Factor 9, Fake It Big Time, Ground Zero, Iron Gypsy, Requiem, Riff Raff, and The 45s.
As the frontman of metal band
Stress Factor 9
Stress Factor 9 was a Canadian thrash metal band from Vancouver, formed in 2005. SF9's members include frontman Randy Rampage (founder of the hardcore band D.O.A., and singer of thrash metal band Annihilator.) and drummer Ray Hartmann (also of ...
along with Annihilator drummer Ray Hartmann, guitarist Francis Frightful of Singapore band Opposition Party, guitarist Kick of
Vertical After
Vertical After was a thrash metal/pop punk band based in Canada and the United States. The band was notable for their elaborate videos that aired on Canada's Much Music nationwide music television station. The band recorded four albums.
They spen ...
, and bass player Duane Chaos of
22nd Century
In contemporary history, the third millennium of the anno Domini or Common Era in the Gregorian calendar is the current millennium spanning the years 2001 to 3000 (21st to 30th centuries). Ongoing futures studies seek to understand what is l ...
.
Rampage's last project was Rampage, a band that included Duane Chaos, The Great Baldini, Brent Johnson, Tim Bitz, Pinto Stiletto, and their LP project was recorded by
John Webster
John Webster (c. 1580 – c. 1632) was an English Jacobean dramatist best known for his tragedies ''The White Devil'' and '' The Duchess of Malfi'', which are often seen as masterpieces of the early 17th-century English stage. His life and ca ...
. Unreleased at the time of his death.
Rampage died on August 14, 2018.
Discography
D.O.A.
* ''
Something Better Change
''Something Better Change'' is the debut album by Canadian punk rock band D.O.A. The album was recorded between 1977 and 1980 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and was released in 1980 on the label Can. Friends. (See 1980 in music).
For ...
'' (1980)
* ''
Hardcore '81
''Hardcore '81'' is an album by the Canadian hardcore punk band D.O.A. It is considered by some to be the first time that a certain style of punk rock was labeled ''hardcore''.
In 2019, the album was named as the public vote winner of the Pol ...
'' (1981)
* ''
Win the Battle
''Win The Battle'' is the 12th studio album by Canadian punk rock band D.O.A. The Slogan on the back cover (Talk - Action = 0) was later used as the title for their 2010 release.
All songs are written by Joe Keithley except where noted.
The al ...
'' (2002)
* ''Northern Avenger'' (2008)
Annihilator
* ''
Alice in Hell
''Alice in Hell'' is the debut studio album by Canadian thrash metal band Annihilator, released on April 17, 1989 through Roadrunner Records. This was the only Annihilator album for ten years to feature Randy Rampage on vocals, until he returne ...
'' (1989)
* ''
Bag of Tricks
''Bag of Tricks'' is a compilation album by the band Annihilator, released in 1994. The album was later reissued in 2002 under the label Roadrunner.
Track listing
Notes
* Track 1 – The vocal tracks for "Alison Hell" were first recorded ...
'' (1994)
* ''
In Command'' (1996)
* ''
Criteria for a Black Widow
''Criteria for a Black Widow'' is the seventh studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Annihilator, released on June 1, 1999, by CMC International. It is the only album to feature the reunited ''Alice in Hell''-era line-up (with the exception ...
'' (1999)
* ''
Total Annihilation
''Total Annihilation'' is a real-time strategy video game created by Cavedog Entertainment, a sub-division of Humongous Entertainment, and was released on September 26, 1997 by GT Interactive for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. Two expansion packs ...
'' (2010)
Stress Factor 9
* ''Brainwarp Mindspin'' (2006)
Randy Rampage
* ''Randy Rampage EP'' (1982)
Death
Rampage died on August 14, 2018 at his home in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...
from an apparent heart attack, aged 58.
Randy Rampage aka Randall Desmond Archibald is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver BC. A monument to his name is under construction.
References
External links
Stress Factor 9Bloodied But Unbowed
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rampage, Randy
1960 births
2018 deaths
Canadian heavy metal singers
Canadian punk rock bass guitarists
Annihilator (band) members
D.O.A. (band) members
Musicians from Vancouver