Back in the hardcore heyday of the early ‘80s, the Zero Boys were among the bright spots of the Midwest punk scene. Their 1982 debut album, Vicious Circle, displayed a refreshing alternative to the tuneless scream-laden “by-the-numbers” hardcore so prevalent back then. Hailing from Indianapolis, the Zero Boys instead took their cues from the Ramones, Dils, Red Kross, and other exceptions to the rules by incorporating hooks, melodies, and a snotty, yet charming approach from singer Paul Ahern. They had the speed and precision of the Bad Brains, thanks to the only rhythm section that could compare to the DC legends in terms of combining warp-speed tempos with razor-sharp accuracy. Original guitarist Terry “Hollywood” Howe (now deceased) constantly ventured out of the typical HC chord patterns, weaving intricate progressions, which amazingly did not sound pretentious. Yes, they played blindingly fast, but there was a clarity in their sound unparalleled to this day.

Vicious Circle proved to be the only official album recorded by the original Zero Boys, and with mid-tempo pop-punk anthems like “Civilization’s Dying,” “Livin’ In the ‘80s,” and “Trying Harder” sharing space with dizzying speedcore blasts like “Down the Drain,” “Outta Style,” and the title track, it stands as one of the most impressive punk rock debuts ever released. 

The Zero Boys, frustrated by the isolation of their homebase, broke up a year after the album’s release, but not before venturing into a studio to record a handful of new material, which was self-released in 1984 on cassette only and titled History of the Zero Boys. These sessions found the band in even better form than on their debut. Aside from a few killer metal touches in such powerhouse numbers as “Blood’s Good” and “Inergy,” the Boys stayed true to the spirit and attitude of the debut, but improved on it, going faster, sounding tighter, and taking more unexpected twists and turns.

The Zero Boys reunited with a different guitarist in 1992 and released two additional albums, Make it Stop and The Heimlich Maneuver. They continue to play occasional shows to this day. Many thanks to the Secretly Canadian label for reissuing Vicious Circle and, more importantly, the long-unavailable superior History of... sessions, both containing extra compilation tracks and great liner notes from punk scribe Jack Rabid.

Listen to "Drive In" from History of the Zero Boys!