Hot take: Crashdog was the most punk band the Christian scene ever produced. In fact, there are only a handful that would rival them for the title. But when we factor in a number of elements: sound, lyrical focus, longevity and impact, they come out as the clear winner.
There are at least two different iterations of the band. The first one featured Spike Nard (actually Tim Davis) on vocals, Andrew Mandell on guitar, Brian Grover on bass, and Greg Jacques on drums. This version recorded the band’s first two albums Humane Society and The Pursuit of Happiness, until Greg Murphy took over on drums for Mud Angels.
The biggest change took place at this point with Spike exiting the band while Mandell took over on vocals, leaving room for Jason Burt to replace him on guitar. Bryan Gray (The Blamed, Left Out) also contributed significantly to this version of the band. They then released the fourth album Cashists, Fascists, and Other Fungus, and then finally Outer Crust with a modified version of this line-up with Jacques returning on drums and adding Michael Perlmutter (Anti-World System, 2Minute Minor) on second guitar.
While the band were always known for societal critique from its inception, they seemed to become increasingly political as time went on, particularly in the later formations of the band. They were not afraid to hold up the lens of faith and look at culture through that lens, critiquing as they went. They were especially critical of the machinations of culture and politics that ‘had a form of godliness, but denied the power thereof.’ In others, they denounced so-called “Christian” hypocrisy dressed up as civil religion and married to politics.
“Numbered by Color” comes from the debut album, and addresses systemic racism and economic disparities. While the song was released in 1990, it is still incredibly relevant to society today. Crashdog never played it safe, neither lyrically nor musically. This song is an example of that, as it doesn’t even fit ‘normal’ punk conventions (oxymoron intentional).
In this humane society it’s easy to get by
Just keep among your own
Never question why
With a fortune fate
Safety comes with the American pie
While the ghetto projects are jails
That scrape the sky
Pride tears open the rift
Then the coward stands behind a clan
The animosity increases the pain
And the fear has us numbered by color
Our cities cut and sectioned into ethnic hideaways hounded by the law of color
Shoot up for courage at an early age
The media fans the tension until they burst into flames
And the children are baptized in the sweat of your hate
The machine keeps on turning-you got no money
It has no time-while a gunshot has some mother’s son
Forced to say his last goodbye
Rip the eye out of this race and we’d all be stumbling, lost
Never knowing who to love or where to burn a cross!
