10 Punk Rock Bands That Never Sold Out
7. FEAR
When FEAR was first breaking onto the scene, people were still starting to get used to what punk rock even was. Just as the filming for movies like the Decline of Western Civilization got underway, the traditional punk rock that the Ramones had ushered in was starting to get a lot more savage, giving way to what's now called the hardcore scene. And if you want a clear indication of when things started to get rowdy, just listen to FEAR's first record.
In Lee Ving's own words, FEAR was just the same amount of notes as any other rock band, just delivered to you really fast. Across every one of their songs, Ving was the archetype for what a classic punk rocker should sound like, with I Don't Care About You sounding like he'll kick your ass if you so much as move an eyelash out of place. That isn't studio trickery or anything on the record either...that sound comes out of his face from the moment he opens his mouth.
That's not to say that they didn't try to be successful, with their appearance on SNL ending in a near riot and getting them booted from ever being on the show again. While Ving has definitely earned respect amongst later legends like Dave Grohl and Dave Mustaine, he seems content to have his legacy as the rabid dog of early punk.