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The Unwanted were a hardcore punk band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, active in the early 1980s. Formed around 1983, the original lineup described themselves—on their later MySpace page—as “four fuck ups from Winnipeg” who had a different idea of where punk was headed. Drawing on speed-driven hardcore and raw thrash energy, the band quickly built a reputation for intense live performances, undergoing multiple lineup changes along the way and surviving on “a lot of blood, sweat and beer.”
In 1984, Unwanted released their sole official LP, Shattered Silence, issued by Better Youth Organization / Head Butt Records. The album captured the band at full throttle, delivering eleven aggressive tracks that cemented their status as one of the most ferocious hardcore acts to emerge from the Winnipeg scene during that period. Despite touring and releasing vinyl, internal tensions led to the group’s dissolution in 1985, when bad blood ultimately split the band.
Interest in The Unwanted’s legacy resurfaced decades later when their 1983 cassette demo—a fast, raw collection of thirteen hardcore tracks—was reissued on vinyl in 2023 by Puke N Vomit Records (PNV 170), introducing a new generation to one of Canada’s most uncompromising early hardcore outfits.
-Robert Williston
Norm Simm: vocals
James Yauk: guitar
Randy Rusu: guitar
Ken Fleming: bass
Kirk Berry: drums
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