House of Commons (2)

Websites:  No
Origin: Victoria, British Columbia, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Material from 80s Victoria, BC based punk act House of Commons has been collected and re-released via the long running UK based Artcore Fanzine. The latest issue of the zine is packaged with the band's Guilty As Hell collection, a 14 song CD comprised of 1983's 7 song Patriot mini-LP, their 5 song self-titled debut and two demos. All material has been remastered for the release. A 20 minute documentary is included on the enhanced portion of the disc, featuring two videos and seven live songs along with TV news footage of the band. Artcore says "House of Commons took the classic Vancouver guitar sound, as pioneered by bands like the Subhumans, threw in some Youth Brigade, Toxic Reasons and the darker edge of bands like Born Without a Face to create their own unique hardcore sound."

Artcore has been around since 1986 and is published roughly once a year. Details on the 26th issue, which features the House Of Commons reissue, can be found at their website.

Welly from Artcore unearthed this slice of Canadian punk history. House Of Commons came out of British Columbia in 1980 and recorded in one form or another right up to around 1993. Obvious DOA influence in their sound, but they have a definite U.K. influence as well: mid tempo punk where the songs are allowed to build and hold your attention. This disc collects their Patriot LP from 1983, and demos from 1985 to 1993. Must admit, their later stuff is just as good as the earlier. Not a common feat! You can score this with Artcore #26.

–Marcus Solomon (Artcore, flw@ntlworld.com)

By Josiah Hughes
Published Oct 28, 2009
If you've ever spent the afternoon browsing Punk History Canada, you know that our fair nation possesses a deep well of legendary, classic punk, much of which has never been heard by the modern music fan. Thankfully, we live in an age of reissues, and more of these gems are seeing the light of day.

Take, for example, House of Commons. The Victoria, BC-based hardcore punk band existed briefly in the early '80s before sputtering out, and their music was criminally under-appreciated. That's where UK punk fanzine Artcore makes good on some past wrong. With the latest issue of their long-running zine, they've released a 14-track CD that features everything the band ever recorded, including seven demo tracks.

The disc is also enhanced, and if you throw it into your computer, you can check out a 20-minute documentary on the band, two music videos, seven live videos and two news segments. Along with their other material, the zine itself also includes an in-depth biography of the band.

Artcore #26 is available now. For ordering info, check here.

Thanks to Punknews for the tip.