A few weeks ago, Jason Pettigrew wrote a really fun listicle for Alternative Press called “Ten Bands That Are Actually Terrifying.” Sitting comfortably among other worthies like Deathspell Omega and Einstürzende Neubauten were Arab on Radar, a ridiculously noisy Providence, RI group of the 1990s who helped open the door to the 21st Century’s No-Wave revival. Here’s Jason’s blurb:

Nothing particularly scary about this late-’90s noise-rock unit fronted by Eric Paul. That is, until they got onstage, plugged in and created a caterwauling scree that emanated the ugliest of vibes. While onstage, Paul threw himself into everything (bandmates, audience) while approximating the high-pitched squealing heard in animal-testing facilities. When this writer first saw them, the bad vibes spilled out into the street post-show, with plenty of fights, vandalism and muggings going down. Or was it just the neighborhood? (RIP, Speak In Tongues, Cleveland.)

As it happens, I was at the same show, and it wasn’t just the neighborhood, though the neighborhood certainly was a bit more wild-west back then (the venue is now a waxing studio—RIP Speak In Tongues, indeed). I’d known Arab on Radar only by name, and was utterly unprepared. I stood transfixed in front of the stage, genuinely frightened that I might come to physical harm either from the band or the rest of the audience, but unwilling to miss a single note—they DID play actual notes, I’m fairly sure. The band members’ faces were distorted with white-hot maniac rage, they wore grey uniforms that put me in mind of concentration camp janitors, and their music was beyond assaultive, it was downright punitive. The most lasting image in my mind of that show was of drummer Craig Kureck, his face twisted into a mask of murderous anger, just fucking ruthlessly smashing a cymbal which he held in a chokehold, as if he was shattering someone’s skull with a hammer.

I’d made a jaded bastard of myself by spending over a decade going to every show I could possibly see, and was always stunned when I found bands still capable of surprising and exciting me to that level. I fell in love and bought many records.

More after the jump…