The Hellworms formed from the ashes of Saturn's Flea Collar, which was formed from the ashes of Victims Family. Hellworms is the latest collaboration of guitarist/vocalist Ralph Spight and bassist Larry Boothroyd who've been destroying eardrums and...The Hellworms formed from the ashes of Saturn's Flea Collar, which was formed from the ashes of Victims Family. Hellworms is the latest collaboration of guitarist/vocalist Ralph Spight and bassist Larry Boothroyd who've been destroying eardrums and expectations together since 1984 when Victim's Family first came to the attention of the Bay Area's hardcore scene. Known for their ultra-tight off kilter thrash attack, they were often imitated, often reviled but never ignored. They relentlessly toured the US and Europe and released six albums of thought provoking and satirical material earning them a rabid following worldwide. When the trio finally imploded in 1994, Larry and Ralph both did time in Plainfield, the bay area's backwoods cannibal-lounge-southern rock outfit, before forming Saturn's Flea Collar. Their wacky sci-fi debut album, Monosyllabic, (Alternative Tentacles) rocketed them into the annals of obscurity while they managed to tour the US and Europe before eventually imploding as well.
In 1997 Larry and Ralph decided they had screwed around long enough and it was time to find a drummer and work on their backlog of new material. They hooked up with Joaquin Spengemann of Walrus and began working on new songs. The most daunting task was deciding on a new name... they finally settled on Hellworms because it was the only name that both their parents and Jello Biafra hated. With one less hurdle in their path, the trio made their live debut. The result: three seasoned veterans showing the kids how it's done. Devastating. Intense. Engaging. Sexy. They started off with a bang, opening for Mike Watt at a sold out show at the Bottom of the Hill followed shortly by an opening slot for Nomeansno at the Great American Music Hall. They are quickly earning a reputation as an incendiary live act and rapidly gaining a loyal following.
Continuing in the Victims Family tradition, Hellworms are louder, faster tighter but also bring in a more song oriented, fun vibe while still having lots to say. Their debut album Crowd Repellent on their own Let Them Eat Records label was co-released by De Konkurrent (Europe) and Alternative Tentacles (everywhere else).
