Sanction



Clockwise: Nigel, Rich, Andy, Heff, Tim?(Tim wasn't in Sanction), .

    If I had to pick a band out of the 'anarcho punk' scene, I would pick this one. Born out of the ashes of Metro Youth, the remaining members were forced to put Nigel on guitar and vocals. Rich and Andy still played bass and drums but both also did vocals at this point. Heff remained on vocals and saxophone. They decided to restart Metro Youth as Sanction during the Winter of 1982 in hopes of doing something similar to Crass.

     During the Summer of 1983, after several practice sessions at the Queen Street rehearsal studio, Sanction recorded their 'Eight Songs' demo cassette. It included several new songs, along with much better versions of old Metro Youth tracks such as 'Brutalised' and 'Red Rifles'. A single was then sent to Crass in hopes of it coming out on Crass Records, but it failed(the actual story is unclear). Unfortunately, a disillusioned Heff left the band which was beginning to become inactive to form Toxic Shock(before Sanction could even play live). The three remaining members carried on with the band, performing just one gig with Wounded knee at Exeter's Caprice Club during May 1984.

     However, the gig went down bad, and the quality of the recording disappointed the band. It was released on tape as the 'Puritanical Stoneage Sexless Dogmatism' cassette.A few months later, after much disillusionment, Sanction split, but several of the band members continued on musically onto several bands, some which still play today. This band had true potential to become something great, but the scene around their area ruined it for everyone. They tried their hardest to sound different, and were very experimnetal with their music.


Saxophone player/vocalist Heff.

 "Brutalised"


Another Youth dies it's not surprising
it's hardly worth analysing
it's last one the news, both sides losing
It's hardly worth passive viewing
a terrorist gone? or was it a solider?
land mine? bomb? oh just turn over
a terrorist gone? or was it a soldier?
a land mine BRUTALISED oh, just turn over

brutalised it's happened too many times
brutalised there's too much on my mind
brutalised i can't be the one to blame
brutalised all this killing sounds too much the same

rebels abroad it's guns they're hoarding
funny how murder can be so boring
message of doom war clouds looming
funny how murder can be so time consuming
the police are killing, or are they the dead?
it's too far away to recall what was said
police are killing or are the the dead?
it's too far away BRUTALISED to recall what
was said.


"Butchery"


Disguise my death
with deceptive names.
Cram your stomach
with my limbs and brains

I will die
so you can be content.
but did I ever give you my consent?

I don't want
to die for you in pain.
You should lower your bloodstained face in shame.
What right of death do you think you've got over me?
What you do is butchery!

DISGUISE MY DEATH

WITH DECEPTIVE NAMES.

CRAM YOUR STOMACH

WITH MY LIMBS AND BRAINS.

I WILL DIE

SO YOU CAN BE CONTENT.

BUT DID I EVER GIVE YOU MY CONSENT?

I DON'T WANT

TO DIE FOR YOU IN PAIN.

YOU SHOULD LOWER YOUR BLOODSTAINED FACE IN SHAME.

WHAT RIGHT OF DEATH DO YOU THINK YOU'VE GOT OVER ME?

WHAT YOU DO IS BUTCHERY!

MEAT IS ANIMALS BLOOD

AND YOU'VE NO RIGHT TO SPILL IT.

OF COURSE YOU ONLY EAT THE THING

BUT I BET YOU COULDN'T KILL IT!

"Red Rifles"

Street fighter

dying in with a gun.

RED RIFLES!

thinking a street war

can be won.

RED RIFLES

The blood it spilt

it's not his own.

RED RIFLES

Trying to change the world

with:

A RED RIFLE!

people ??? they sacrifice their problems

The end doesn't justify the means

we got to find a new way

we got to find a better way

'Cos if we don't act soon

it'll be too late!

RED RIFLES!

RED RIFLES!

Death fills the gutter.

No pride no pity.

RED RIFLES!

Their victims 

of their own misery.

RED RIFLES!

Nothing ever changes

but a new authority.

RED RIFLES!

Kept in power

by their breath.

RED RIFLES!

People ???? they sacrifice their problems

The end doesn't justify the means

we got to find a new way

we got to find a better way

'Cos if we wont act soon

it'll be too late!

Please help with any more lyrics if you know them.

Downloads: 

(this will be the first time these two demo's have ever been uploaded on the internet. I am spoiling you guys! Hopefully now people will here this band and see how brilliant they were. I will not let them be forgotten! Rich Cross has a blog. The link is at the bottom of the page.)

Eight songs demo 1983(For some reason, the songs are slightly slower than the originals)

http://www.box.net/shared/kin8gcvjn5

Puritanical Stoneage Sexless Dogmatism live 1984

(Why is there a Journey album at the end of side 2?('Any way you want' it is the first song that starts playing)

http://www.box.net/shared/a2z80kcmnr