Scaterd Few was a

Christian punk Christian punk is a form of Christian music and a subgenre of punk rock which contain Christian lyrical content. Much disagreement persists about the boundaries of the subgenre, and the extent that their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies a ...

band originating from

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, wh ...

. ''CCM'' magazine described their music as "pure punk for dread people," stating that it was a cross between

Janes Addiction Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands from ...

and Charlie Mingus.

History

''Sin Disease'' era

Scaterd Few initially existed from 1983 until 1984 with a brief stint in 1985. Led by Allan Aguirre, then known as Rämald Domkus, the band recorded an 11-song demo with

Terry Scott Taylor Terry Scott Taylor (born May 24, 1950) is an American songwriter, record producer, writer and founding member of the bands Daniel Amos and The Swirling Eddies (credited as Camarillo Eddy). Taylor is also a member of the roots and alternative ...

(of

Daniel Amos Daniel Amos (aka D. A., Dä) is an American Christian rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. The band currently cons ...

fame) as producer in June 1983. Some of the material from this time was later released on their disk ''Out of the Attic''. Being unable to sell the material at the time, Scaterd Few went on hiatus in 1985 and Allan left to produce music with another band, Cygnet. This band became the blueprint for Allans' later goth-themed work, Spy Glass Blue. In 1989, Allan began work on Scaterd Few material again with brother/original bassist Omar Domkus. Working with Terry Taylor and Gene Eugene, their first new material was released in 1990 on

Alarma Records Alarma Records was an imprint of Newpax Records and Frontline Records. Alarma! Records and Tapes was formed in 1983 by the band Daniel Amos with musician Tom Howard for the release of their ''Doppelgänger'' album. The name of the label comes fro ...

. ''

Sin Disease ''Sin Disease'' was Scaterd Few's first full-length studio album. ''CCM'' magazine described the release as "pure punk for dread people," stating that it was a cross between Jane's Addiction and Charlie Mingus. Track listing # "Kill the Sarx" # ...

'' was critically well received, though its lyrical content and rumors (of being Rastafarian and not traditional Christian) caused a national pull from

Zondervan Zondervan is an international Christian media and publishing company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan is a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA). They are a part of HarperCollins Christian Pu ...

. The band played Christian festivals such as

Cornerstone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over ti ...

, but they did not limit themselves to Christian venues. They toured with secular artists such as

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 ...

, and would play at explicitly non-Christian events such as an

Earth First Earth First! is a radical environmental advocacy group that originated in the Southwestern United States. It was founded in 1980 by Dave Foreman, Mike Roselle, Howie Wolke, Bart Koehler, and Ron Kezar. Today there are Earth First! groups around t ...

event. The band ran into further trouble in 1991 when, in an interview, Aguirre admitted to smoking

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in variou ...

. These factors led to the band being dropped from Alarma's roster.

Indie existence

Their next effort at making an album, which eventually resulted in the 1994 release of ''Jawboneofanass'', was a direct result of the aftermath of ''Sin Disease''. The album was recorded three times. The first time, the band again worked with Gene Eugene and Terry Taylor. This recording was made for the general market under the auspices of Vox Vinyl. The second recording was done with

Dave Hackbarth Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...

(of the band

Undercover To go "undercover" (that is, to go on an undercover operation) is to avoid detection by the object of one's observation, and especially to disguise one's own identity (or use an assumed identity) for the purposes of gaining the trust of an ind ...

) and Terry Taylor for

Mike Knott Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documenta ...

Blonde Vinyl Blonde Vinyl was an independent record label founded in 1990 by Michael Knott. The ''Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music'' describes the label as "one of Christian music's first true indie labels." Background Blonde Vinyl signed bands w ...

. Neither of these versions were released. The third version was produced independently with assistance from Mark Rodrieguez of Mortal / Blood fame. The release coincided with the release of ''Out of the Attic'' on

Flying Tart Records Flying Tart was an independent record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It was started by Alex Parker, formerly of R.E.X. Records, and operated from 1990 until 1996 when it was purchased by Light Records. Bands *Aleixa (aka Sorrow of Seven) *Bre ...

. ''Out of the Attic'' is a compilation of material from Scaterd Few's early existence - the 1983 to 1984 time frame. The release shows the roots of Scaterd Few in early 1980s punk rock. The sound is raw and rough, but clearly shows the origin of many of the Few's later sounds. In the winter of 1995, their manager, Tim Cook, secured a recording contract with

Tooth & Nail Records Tooth & Nail Records is a Christian rock record label founded by Brandon Ebel in California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington where it is situated today. It is home to many well-known musical acts, including Undero ...

. Artistic direction and personality differences between members caused the band to part ways in early 1996. Allan immediately started working on new material and Spy Glass Blue was officially born. In 1998 Allan once again rebuilt Scaterd Few with an all new lineup, and ''

Grandmother's Spaceship ''Grandmother's Spaceship'' the third a studio album by pioneer Christian punk band Scaterd Few. Lyrically the album is themed, referencing "aliens, the cyber-age and other extra-terrestrial things," while staying centered on the ultimate truth ...

'' was released on Jackson Rubio. Their most recent material, '' Omega No. 5'', was released in 2002 on Allans' own label, Accidental Sirens.

Style

Though a

Christian band Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith an ...

, Scaterd Few's songs are filled with lyrics about topics that many Christians feel are inappropriate for Christian music. Scaterd Few never received any significant music industry awards, and received relatively little attention in mainstream media. The manner in which the band displayed their Christianity guaranteed them neither a place on Christian bookstore shelves nor automatic distribution in general-market outlets. However, the transparent reality and introspective honesty of their lyrics have earned the band a devoted fanbase. The themes of their lyrics fall into two broad categories - Teaching about Christianity, and teaching about human behavior. Christianity themes include: sin is a

disease A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

and humanity's need for

salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

("Beggar", "While Reprobate", "Run If You Can", and "Wonder Why"), humankind's vs. God's understanding ("Beggar", "Life Bleeds Out", "Holding Stare", "Self", and "Pinnacle"), and a person's need for growth as a Christian ("Sleeper" and "Lullaby"). Human behavior themes include

gang A gang is a social group, group or secret society, society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over Territory (animal), territory in a communi ...

violence and racial issues ("Lights Out"),

drug A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhal ...

use ("Glass God (No Freedom In Basing)"), sexual immorality ("Sheets", "Future Love", "Secret - Secret", and "Resistance"), and religious sects,

Witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have u ...

, and

apostasy Apostasy (; grc-gre, ἀποστασία , 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that i ...

("Pinnacle", "Witchcraft", "Resistance", and "Self"). Their sound was derived from the

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

punk rock scene of the 1980s, and has been described as a "Shotgun wedding between complex musicianship and scathing punk rock". Their ''Sin Disease'' era influence would be primarily

musically.

Members

Early era * Allen Pellerin – vocals (1983–1984) * Omar Dömkus – bass (1983–1985, 1989–1995) * Allan Ramald Aguirre Dömkus – guitar (1983–1985, 1989–1995, 1997–1998, 2001–2002) * Drew Dömkus – keyboards (1983–1985) * Paul Figuero – guitar, keyboards (1983–1985) * Lou Becaria – guitar (1983) * Andy Zachari – guitar, drums (1984) * Ben Eshbach – guitar (1984–1985) * Brian Anderson – drums (1983) ''Sin Disease'' lineup * Allan Ramald Aguirre Dömkus – vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion (1983–1985, 1989–1995, 1997–1998, 2001–2002) * Ed "Lover" Evans – guitar (1989–1990) * James Mitchell – guitar, vocals (1990–1992) * Omar Dömkus – bass guitar, vocals (1983–1985, 1989–1994) * Sam West – drums (1989–1995) ''Jawboneofanass'' lineup * Allan Ramald Aguirre Dömkus – vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion (1983–1985, 1989–1994, 1997–1998, 2001–2002) * Paul Figuero – guitar (1992–1995), keyboards (1991) * Omar Dömkus – bass (1983–1985, 1989–1994) * Samuel West – drums (1989–1995) ''Grandmother's Spaceship'' lineup * Allan Ramald Aguirre Dömkus – vocals, guitar, keyboards * Russell Archer – guitar, keyboards, background vocals (1997–1998) * Steven Meigs – bass guitar (1997–1998) * Steve Martens – drums, percussion (1997–1998) * Kane Kelly – bass guitar (1998–1999) ''Omega No. 5'' lineup * Allan Ramald Aguirre Dömkus – vocals, guitar, drums (1983–1985, 1989–1995, 1997–1998, 2001–2002) * Brad Bevill – guitar, backing vocals (2001–2002) * Chris Smythers – bass, backing vocals (2001–2002) * Joe Sidoti – drums (2002) ;Timeline

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Discography

Studio albums * ''

'' (1990) * ''Jawboneofanass'' (1994) * ''Out of the Attic'' (1994) * ''

'' (1998) * '' Omega No. 5'' (2002)