Total Chaos

Almost 17 years ago (Sept.-Oct. 1989) in Pomona Valley, CA was the birth of TOTAL CHAOS . Created out of the desperate need to save a dying genre of punk rock- during a time that the market was saturated with a more commercial “new style”. Along the side of a dedicated few other bands who believed in the dying genre and all that it represented- to them it was not only music- but a forum- to convey important political and social views. One of those allies was Jay Lee from “Resist and Exist” who with “Total Chaos” started organizations such as-UVP(United Valley Punks), OCP(Orange County Peace Punks) and AGC (Alternative Gathering Collective)- holding social events like- “Food Not Bombs”- giving support to the “Big Mountain Indian Reservation” and helping to open the “Los Angeles Anarchist Center”. The idea of social responsibility to both bands was a significant thing- from organizing peace punk picnics- to protesting against the Gulf War- their music had meaning and stood for something.

In 1991 TOTAL CHAOS recorded their first demo- which led to their first 7 inch in July of 92’ “Nightmares”. In March of 93’ they put out their first full length album “Were the Punks”- to promote the record they did shows around California- during that time word of the album reached Mexico City- leading to an offer to do a full Mexico tour with a band called the “Yaps”. With mostly sold out shows-the tour was deemed a success. Between sold out shows in the U.S. and Mexico- interest hit lead guitarist of “Bad Religion” and the owner of the biggest punk label in the world “Epitaph Records” Bret Gurewitz. Leading to the signing of the band in Sept. 93’, a quote from Rob Chaos regarding the signing to the label, “I felt signing to the label was a huge opportunity to save my genre- to allow the style to reach the masses and help those that were like me to be heard.” By Jan. of 94’ TOTAL CHAOS was in the studio recording “Pledge of Defiance” still to this day being the hardest most political controversial album ever put out by “Epitaph” Records