One of the leading bands on the New York Hardcore scene, Kraut played fast, hard, committed punk rock whose lyrics dealt with both personal and political themes. While they were very much part of the NYHC community, they also showed the influence of earlier British bands, a sound that informed their classic 1982 debut album, An Adjustment to Society. 1984's Whetting the Scythe added a strong heavy metal accent to their music, and 2004's Live at CBGB's, recorded during a 2002 reunion gig, saw them finding a muscular sonic midpoint between their two eras. Formed in 1981, Kraut's original lineup featured lead singer Davy Gunner, guitarist and vocalist Doug Holland, bassist and vocalist Don Cowan, and drummer and vocalist Johnny Feedback. They made their live debut with a prestigious gig, opening for the Clash on June 11, 1981 during their summer residency at New York City's Bond's International Casino. Later in 1981, they brought out their first single, "Kill for Cash" b/w "True Color" and "Just Cabbage," released on their own Cabbage Records label. Months later, they issued a second single, "Unemployed" b/w "Last Chance" and "Matinee," and began work on a full-length album. Kraut booked a show in Boston opening for the Professionals, the U.K. band featuring Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols. Jones liked Kraut's set, and he accepted an invitation to add guitar to three songs on their first LP, the 15-song An Adjustment to Society, which came out in 1982. The album sold well and earned a positive reception from the hardcore community, with Cabbage Records entering a distribution agreement with Faulty Products to get the LP into more stores. They also created a video for the song "All Twisted" that was one of the first independent clips to go into rotation on MTV. In 1984, Kraut issued Whetting the Scythe, a nine-song EP that showed off a heavier guitar sound and heavy metal influences in their songwriting. Distributed by Enigma Records, the EP fared well, and for their subsequent concert tour, Kraut added a second guitarist, Christopher Smith (ex-Battalion of Saints), which reinforced their metal leanings. Kraut were soon back to a quartet after Doug Holland left to work with another influential NYHC band, the Cro-Mags. The new edition of the group cut demos of new songs in anticipation of recordings a third album, but in 1986, Christopher Smith died unexpectedly after falling in his bathtub, and the surviving members decided to break up. Davy Gunner and Johnny Feedback would go on to play in the band Gutterboy, who landed major-label deals with DGC and Mercury. In 1989, the independent punk label New Red Archives released Night of Rage, which collected highlights from live shows in 1982, 1985, and 1986. In 1995, NRA brought out the compilation Complete Studio Recordings 1981-1986 (also released as The Movie), which featured An Adjustment to Society and Whetting the Scythe in full, along with non-LP single sides and three songs from the never-completed third album. In 2002, the original lineup of Kraut played a one-night-only reunion at CBGB in New York; the show was recorded and later released in 2004 as Live at CBGB's. In 2023, An Adjustment to Society was given a deluxe vinyl reissue by Cleopatra Records. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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