Abolish Authority

(Writer’s note: I know that many would consider it crazy, or even heretical to include so many punk-affiliated bands in an archive dedicated to the documentation of Hellenic metal music. But ignoring this vibrant and still vital part the Greek underground music scene would mean not only missing out on a lot of fantastic and powerful music, it would also be to neglect the integral connection between the two genres in the country. Many punk bands shared with their metallic counterparts a deep appreciation for classic metal bands such as BLACK SABBATH, MOTÖRHEAD, SLAYER and last but not least, HELLHAMMER – something which is more often than not reflected in the music as well. So, if you dare, do yourself a favor and check out some of the Greek punk groups mentioned in these pages. You won’t regret it.)

While not a metal band per se, this Athenian Hardcore Punk outfit incorporated enough metallic influences in their music to warrant inclusion in this archive. It’s difficult to pinpoint the style of ABOLISH AUTHORITY. In rough terms, they fall somewhere between the fervid Hardcore Punk of the early 1980s and later so-called Crossover (Metal/Punk hybrid), but to this we must add a third element that is more difficult to describe in words – let’s just call it originality.

Formed out of the ashes of EX-HUMANS (one of the earliest Greek punk bands) in 1986, ABOLISH AUTHORITY consisted of Giorgios “Havoc” Alevras (vocals – EX-HUMANS, VELOCITY), Giorgios Giannopoulos (guitars), Giannis Trompetas (bass – EX HUMANS, VELOCITY) and Giorgios Salivaras (drums – BIRTHWARD) (three Georges, all in all!). According to some sources, the band also included future DESPISE frontman/guitarist Makis Dedes at some point in time. By July 1986, A.A. entered Mastersound Studio and recorded their first four-track demo, which is the only material we currently have available by the band. They did put out a split tape (presumable featuring live material) with the Croatian punks GENERALI on the Yugoslavian Beyoop label in 1987, but this recording remains uncovered as of yet. If anyone is in possession of this tape – whether in its original format or as a digital copy – please get in touch!

In addition to the above-mentioned releases, ABOLISH AUTHORITY also appeared on a handful of Punk compilations in the late-1980s (including a German one with the band’s song titles translated into German), as well as on the more recently released “Hellenic Punk / Greek Punk ’82-92” tape.

Around 1998, vocalist George “Havoc” Alevras and bassist Giannis Trompetas once again teamed up to form the Hardcore Punk act VELOCITY, together with Kostas (guitars) and Nikos Papadakis (drums – FAKE, THE BLACK HOUSE). They released three albums, sung in Greek language, during 2001-2003, with the final one being released on the Greek metal label Black Lotus Records.

Compilation appearances:
* Free Ourselves [Cass, Comp:
* Untitled Compilation [Cass, Comp, Numbered: Self-released (Germany), 1988]
* Vale! [Cass, Comp: Στις Σκιές Του Β-23 Zine, 1989]
* Hellenic Punk / Greek Punk '82-'91 [Cass, Comp: Self-released, 2018]