In the olden days, Elvis Presley swiveling his hips was enough to get people freaked out. Just imagine how the moral crusaders of times past would feel about the bands in this article, who push human decency to the breaking point and beyond.
Tat2NoiseAct
Full-body tattoos are pretty common in the world of heavy music, but Belgian combo Tat2NoiseAct take this to a whole new level by inking each other onstage. The group link their tattoo needles up to amplifiers, blasting venues with ungodly buzzing and caterwauling. In addition to the standard guitars and basses, one of the guys (who wears a Mexican wrestling mask at all time) is just responsible for "playing" the tattoos during concerts. The lead singer also has a bunch of needles sticking right through his forearms just to make his image even more unemployable. (Photo credit: Facebook)
Kettle Cadaver
Temecula, California metalheads Kettle Cadaver take shock rock to a whole new level, mainly thanks to the insane antics of lead singer Edwin Borsheim. Borsheim's self-abuse is a key part of his band's appeal, and if you see them live in between their spooky riffs you'll be treated to such unforgettable sights as the crooner stabbing shark hooks through his ribcage, pulling his mouth open with safety pins, and even nailing his penis to a board. (Photo credit: YouTube)
GG Allin and the Murder Junkies
No list of extreme musicians could be complete without the dwarfish, demented Kevin Michael "GG" Allin. Born Jesus Christ Allin to an abusive religious lunatic who lived in a log cabin, GG grew up to lead the Murder Junkies to worldwide infamy. Typical shows included Allin getting completely wasted on whatever came to hand before the show, cursing the audience, throwing microphone stands into the crowd, and for an encore dropping his panties and taking a dump on the stage. Alas, such a bright candle couldn't help but burn out, and GG passed on from this world in 1993. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
BiSKaidan
Japan is a weird place, and that country's noise acts are some of the world's most abrasive and insane. But things got taken to a whole new level when electronic monsters Hijokaidan teamed with all-girl "idol group" BiS to create one of the most atonal, painful performances ever. The supergroup, which they dubbed BiSKaidan, put the chirpy little BiS girls in sailor suits with fake intestines hanging out and let them screech and squeal over walls of guitar feedback and electronic interference. The end product was deeply disturbing. (Photo credit: Jaggedvisionzine Wordpress)
Swans
One of the most influential experimental rock bands of all time, New York's Swans have pursued their unique mission of pummeling, droning noise for over three decades. Although the group has mellowed with time, during their peak they were known for performing at volumes so extreme that audience members would spontaneously vomit. Frontman Michael Gira was also exceptionally violent towards his fanbase, stomping on the fingers of any audience member dumb enough to touch the stage and starting fistfights with anyone he caught headbanging. (Photo credit: nocountryfornewnashville.com)
Stalaggh
When a band's Myspace manifesto says it represents the "total annihilation of human life," you know you're in for a treat. Dutch extreme metal act Stalaggh have a unique gimmick - instead of having a regular singer, they recruit patients from mental hospitals to guest on their abrasive, grinding tracks. One of the band members works in an asylum and records the "singers" under the guise of primal scream therapy. Their side project, Gulaggh, uses classical instruments and the howling of abused children instead. (Photo credit: YouTube)
Whitehouse
William Bennett wanted to create a band that would "bludgeon an audience into submission," and he succeeded with the formation of Whitehouse in 1980. The group, which also included child pornography aficionado Peter Sotos, laid down blistering sheets of noise punctuated with creepy, hateful whispering and screaming. Their lyrics and album art pushed every envelope, glorifying serial killers, Nazis and child abusers, and their live shows were painful orgies of sonic terror. Whitehouse went on hiatus in 2008, but Bennett still makes music under the name Cut Hands. (Photo credit: Weirdestbandintheworld)
Anal Cunt
Newtown, Massachusetts' least favorite sons, Anal Cunt, formed in 1988 and quickly became pariahs of their local scene for their brutal grindcore and deeply offensive lyrics. The band's songs clocked in at an average of just under a minute and featured titles like "You Were Pregnant So I Kicked You In The Stomach," "I Went Back In Time And Voted For Hitler" and "Everyone In Allston Should Be Killed," and their live shows were notorious for violent mayhem. The group dissolved after lead singer Seth Putnam died of a heart attack in 2011. (Photo credit: Nrgm)
Hanatrash
Let's go back to Japan for another entry in that country's extreme noise sweepstakes. Hanatarash were a duo composed of Boredoms frontman Yamantaka Eye and guitarist Mitsuru Tabata that were notorious for their chaotic, anything-goes live shows. Not only was the music - a fusion of power noise and high-decibel screaming - extreme as all get out, but the band would also cause flabbergasting amounts of property damage whenever they played. At one show, Eye even commandeered a bulldozer and drove it through the back wall of the club! (Photo credit: Lastfm)
Missing Foundation
To really be punk, you have to not care about anything -- or at least that's the ethos that Missing Foundation espoused. Formed in Hamburg, Germany by Peter Missing, the group was notorious for the level of mayhem that followed them, with many concerts devolving into wild riots by the end. At one show at New York's legendary punk club CBGB, the group lit barrels full of kerosene and rolled them into the audience, nearly burning down the building. The violence wasn't always directed outwards, though, as Missing would often also set himself on fire during sets. (Photo credit: Magicmonsterrecords)