Huntington Beach, CA · punk

Guttermouth

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Snotty SoCal punk provocation, decades deep — deliberately tasteless, weirdly tuneful, and proud of every complaint letter.

Guttermouth's story starts earlier than the band's official formation: vocalist Mark Adkins played in the La Habra punk band Republic with guitarist Scott Sheldon in 1982, before that group split in 1984. Adkins later formed Critical Noise with guitarists Eric Davis and Barry Burnham, bassist Paul Denis and drummer Tim Baulch, and it was Baulch who suggested the name Guttermouth for the new band in 1988.

That lineup played local shows, parties and skateboard demos through 1988 before dissolving when Davis moved to Huntington Beach. Adkins and Baulch's replacement James Nunn followed about a year later, and Adkins brought back Sheldon in place of Burnham, adding bassist Clint Weinrich to complete a lineup, Adkins, Sheldon, Davis, Weinrich and Nunn, that held for six years and two albums.

The band's fast, hook-driven sound grew out of the same lineage as the Adolescents, the Vandals, Social Distortion, Fear, the Descendents and Bad Religion, filtered through Adkins' sarcastic, deliberately offensive lyrics. In 1991, Orange County label Dr. Strange put out two 7-inch records, Puke and Balls, followed by the debut album, Full Length LP, later reissued on CD.

Guttermouth went on to record for Nitro Records, home to several California punk acts of the era, before moving to other labels for later releases. Live, the band has become as well known for Adkins' between-song heckling as for the songs themselves, and its willingness to antagonize crowds has occasionally cost it tour slots.

Guttermouth was banned from performing in Canada for eighteen months at one point, and left the 2004 Vans Warped Tour amid a dispute over its political views and treatment of other acts on the bill. Across its career the band has released nine full-length studio albums and two live albums.

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