Subhumans

Formed in 1980 in Warminster, Wiltshire, Subhumans became part of the British punk scene with a sound associated with anarcho-punk, drawing on hardcore, occasional ska and reggae rhythms, and sometimes more developed song structures than straightforward punk. Centered on Dick Lucas (vocals), Bruce Treasure (guitar), Trotsky (drums) and initially Herb then Phil on bass, Subhumans emerged in the early 1980s with the EPs Demolition War E.P. (1981), Reason for Existence and Religious Wars (1982), followed by the album The Day the Country Died (1983), all first released on Spiderleg Records. That same year the band started Bluurg Records to release, among other records, From the Cradle to the Grave (1983) and later Worlds Apart (1985). Subhumans’ lyrics confront war, social alienation, religion, conformity and power relations in a political writing tied to the British autonomous punk movement. After splitting in 1985, Dick Lucas continued with Culture Shock and then Citizen Fish, the latter also featuring Phil and Trotsky. Subhumans reformed in the late 1990s, resumed performing and later issued Internal Riot (2007) and Crisis Point (2019). Since then they have alternated live activity and recordings while remaining connected to the English DIY punk legacy.