Biography
Wellington anarcho hardcore punk band. Released a handful of DIY cassettes, mostly on the Sound Mind label. The origin of the band comes from Hutt Valley teenage punk group Destructive Adolescents, then World War II before settling on Compos Mentis.
influenced by overseas bands such as Crass, Discharge and Chaos UK, Compos Mentis wrote politically charged songs that critiqued both mainstream New Zealand and the cliquey factions within the alternative music scene. Described by Simon Cottle of Anti-System zine as “New Zealand’s ultimate political thrash band” Compos Mentis lasted for a good half of the 1980s at a time when a more politicized punk scene was emerging in Wellington.
TheAbortus (YouTube)
Oddly on their album ‘A short history’ they gave each of the band members home addresses, but not their last names!
The band released 2 split EP’s – one with South African group Power Age and the 2nd with Melbourne punks Gash and were active in producing their own zine ‘Communicade‘.
The Wellington based band Riot 111 formed specifically for the 1981 Springbok Tour riots and Compos Mentis, around in the 80’s, wrote politically charged songs that critiqued both mainstream New Zealand and the cliquey factions within the alternative music scene. They were part of an anarchy-punk scene that emerged here and overseas, introducing an anarco-politico thinking into the punk scene … so it wasn’t just a lot of “let’s gets dressed up in the weekends and jump around.”
John Lake – Punk in translation: Studs and spikes in China
Craig and David would go on to form similarly cryptic heavy metal group Nazgul.
Members
- Grant (vocals / guitar)
- Simon Gotlieb (Aftershock, The Argumentative Bastards, Vas Deferens, guitar / bass / drums / vocals)
- David (Nazgul, guitar / bass)
- Craig (Nazgul, drums / bass)
- Heather (vocals)
- Peter (bass)
Discography
- Man’s inhumanity to man makes thousands mourn EP (1984, Sound Mind)
- A short history (1985, Sound Mind)
- From behind the wall 7″ (1986, Sound Mind)
- Pictures from the Colonies split 7″ (w/ Gash, 1986, Sound Mind)
- Backlash! split 7″ (w/ Power Age, 1987, Out of Order Records)