Tough Justice

Websites:  No
Origin: St. John's, Newfoundland, 🇨🇦
Biography:

When digging into the earliest days of Newfoundland’s punk scene, you’ll often hear about The Reaction’s 1979 single, Da Slyme’s anarchic 1980 LP, or Schizoid’s crossover 1987 7”. But there’s another crucial chapter that too often slips through the cracks: Tough Justice and their raw, urgent cassette 3 Seconds of Silence, originally recorded in 1985.

Tough Justice embodied the spirit of D.I.Y. Newfoundland hardcore when it was still carving out its own battered, bloodied niche. Formed in 1983 by Rod and Dean Locke, Danny Thomas, and Sean Doran, they first hit the stage at a MacPherson Jr. High talent show, hammering out reworded Sex Pistols covers to appease skeptical teachers. But by the time guitarist Johnny Fisher joined in late 1984, the band was already steering away from UK punk and colliding headfirst into the influence of American and Canadian hardcore.

Inspired by the velocity and fury of Youth Youth Youth, SNFU, 7 Seconds, Bad Brains, and Government Issue, Tough Justice transformed rapidly - and 3 Seconds of Silence captured that evolution. Songs like "Young Problems," "Fight Fight Fight," and "No Proof" tear through the speakers with barely restrained chaos, fusing breakneck speed with raw energy and Newfoundland grit.

The recording process was pure punk: live takes into a normal cassette deck, dubbed onto leftover Arthritis Society tapes, some even ending with unintended medical information. Around 60 to 100 copies were made, distributed locally or sent off to zines and labels like Maximumrocknroll and BYO Records. Today, almost no physical copies survive (even the band members don’t have one).

Listening now, 3 Seconds of Silence feels like a missing link in Canada's hardcore punk story. Tracks are fast, thick, and unrelenting, with Danny Thomas’ vocals veering from snarling chants to full-throttle screams. Rod Locke’s lead guitar cuts jagged lines over Dean Locke’s sturdy bass and Don Ellis' hammering drums, while Johnny Fisher’s rhythm guitar stitches the whole chaos together. It’s the sound of youth demanding space in a scene that barely existed yet.

Beyond the tape itself, Tough Justice’s story reveals a hard-earned sense of brotherhood. Playing shows alongside early local acts like Public Enemy, Schizoid, The Riot, Dog Meat BBQ, and Malpractice, they were part of a stubborn underground that endured harassment, skepticism, and literal street fights just for daring to exist.

Tough Justice's first run wound down when bassist Dean Locke moved away in the late 1980s, but the band briefly reformed in 2006 after an outpouring of interest through MySpace. Their final show — opening for D.O.A. in 2007 — stands as a powerful, bittersweet capstone to their legacy. Although Rod Locke couldn’t perform due to illness, the night was a celebration of everything Tough Justice stood for: defiance, friendship, and the pure adrenaline rush of punk rock played with heart.

In Johnny Fisher’s words:

"Remember us as being friends who loved each other as much as we loved punk rock."
-Robert Williston

Not dead yet
By BOB HALLETT

Rumours of its death were premature. The St. John’s hardcore punk scene is alive and well and even flourishing, if a recent triple-bill is anything to go by.

A Saturday night show on January 2 saw one of the first big underground shows seen around here in quite a while. It took place at Bounder’s on Duckworth St., an ideal place for alternative bands to play. Bounder’s is a big enough club to hold a substantial crowd, and on January 2 the place was packed.

First on the card was a young hardcore band named Malpractice, a five-piece group; they played a short, clean set, heavily weighted with originals.

Their appearance on the St. John’s scene is very heartening, when you consider the oldest member of the band is just 18. As some of the stalwarts of the St. John’s rock underground get older, it’s great to see younger musicians carrying on.

Malpractice need a little work in the solo department, but they are still very young, and as leader John Nolan put it, “We’ve only been together for a month.”

Next on the bill were thrash-metallers Schizoid, who were performing material from their just-released e.p. Schizoid have been together for several years now, and the time they have spent together is starting to pay off. Their set was almost entirely original, the tunes being Schizoid’s trademark sound; hard, fast, and thick.

The last year or so has seen a considerable improvement in the band’s stage show. They were always entertaining to watch (in particular the group’s animated frontman Chris Jerrett), but early shows were marred by lengthy solos and endless breaks between tunes. Since those days the band has streamlined itself considerably. They are now probably one of the most exciting live acts in the province.

Topping the bill were the fastest band in Newfoundland and Labrador, Tough Justice. Though they have played together for a good five years now, but the band just seems to get faster, not older. The band’s set is now totally original, encompassing most of the material found on their tape released last winter.

Tough Justice has had quite a few personnel changes over the years, but the band has lost nothing in terms of its musicianship. Known for onstage stoicism, the band never slowed its breakneck pace for a minute, even when knots of writhing slam-dancers poured onto the ‘stage.’

All in all, for three bucks, it was a hell of a lot of fun.

The Muse, January 15, 1988

Danny Thomas: vocals
Roddy Van Locke: lead guitar, vocals
Dean Locke: bass, vocals
John Fisher: guitar, vocals
Donald Ellis: percussion

Recorded in Don Ellis' basement live to cassette

Special Thanks:
Easton Audio, Riot, Dogmeat BBQ, The Reckoning, The Seen, Hush, Fusion, Wafut, Chris Hynes, Mike Caul, Mr. Sefish, Bill, MS 79, Junsu, Laurence, Martin, and Jason

Tough Justice:
15 Fleming St.
St. John's, Newfoundland
A1C 3A1