Besides Go-go, the music scene of Washington D.C. in the eighties was largely defined by the birth of hardcore and the influential ‘Revolution Summer’ movement that followed. At its forefront were bands like Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Government Issue, Scream, Rites of Spring, Embrace, Fugazi…. need I say more?
Something beautiful about punk rock is that for every scene that budded in America, there were a few bands that were simply nontraditional. Perhaps the members didn’t dress like everybody else. Maybe they had different influences. Or better yet, they played a completely different style of music altogether.
But that didn’t change if a band was punk or not. Because who gives a fuck
The Obsessed are a band from Maryland that Ian Mackaye tipped me off on. They formed in the late-seventies in Potomac, about a thirty minute drive from the Capitol. The leader of the group is a guy by the name of Scott Weinrich, but people know him as “Wino.” As far as I’m aware, there was no tougher motherfucker in the scene than Wino.
The band went through several lineup changes over the years, but not much else has changed. They were quintessential lifers; longhairs from the suburbs who ripped fat doom metal riffs and lived to play rock & roll. Henry Rollins described them as a band that truly represented America’s youth culture. They had nothing to lose, so there was nothing to lie about.
Early Obsessed Gig
Evidently, The Obsessed and its fans found themselves intermingling with the burgeoning hardcore movement of nearby Washington D.C. They’d play with bands like Bad Brains, Iron Cross, and the Dead Boys, so naturally they became a crossover band between hardcore and heavy metal. As Ian put it, they occupied their own space in the musical world. Because nobody does it with as much conviction as Wino does. Sure, there was plenty of tension between the suburban metal-heads and the skinhead punks. Wino didn’t care, though. He liked punk rock because it was cool - and he’d beat the shit out of anyone messing with punkers. But he’d take on anybody, really.
Scott “Wino” Weinrich
With no proper music released, the band called in quits when Wino moved to California to join another important stoner rock band, Saint Vitus. Eventually, The Obsessed’s self-titled debut was released and they reformed in 1990. Within a few years, they signed to Columbia Records before dissolving once more due to poor record sales.
In anticipation of their major label debut in 1994, Columbia Records filmed a short promo documentary on The Obsessed. An introduction to the mythical band, this amazing piece of work features no holds barred-style interviews with hardcore punk and metal mainstays, like Henry Rollins, Ian Mackaye, Dale Crover, Tesco Vee, Joe Lally, and members of Pantera, White Zombie, and Corrosion of Conformity. There is early performance footage of the band at a local high school, recordings of Wino shredding it up in the studio, and commentary by members of the band (and some super-‘Obsessed’ fans). Oh, and a story about Wino doing speed off the blade of a giant knife.
With the ‘boom’ of doom in recent years, Wino brought The Obsessed back in 2016. They signed with Relapse Records and released Sacred in 2017 - their first record in 21 years.
Watch the amazing ‘94 documentary on D.C.’s heavy metal crossover band and realest ones around - The Obsessed:
“Hells Angels were trying to impress Wino.”
Music video for “Streetside”
The Obsessed - Forever Midnight
The Obsessed - Freedom
The Obsessed - ‘Self-Titled’
Previously on Dangerous Minds:
Ian MacKaye’s article on DC skateboarding for Thrasher magazine, 1983
Blood and Steel: Punk meets skateboarding at the Cedar Crest Country Club
Beware the dangers of the mosh pit: A look back