DETESTATION

About

Detestation formed in Portland, Oregon in July 1995, built from the wreckage of Resist, Defiance, and Starved and Delerious. The initial lineup was vocalist Saira Huff, guitarist Adam, bassist Kelly Halliburton, and drummer Ty Smith — later solidifying around Saira, guitarist Brian Hopper, Kelly, and drummer Andy. They played a ferocious strain of crust punk that drew from Nausea, Sacrilege, and the old Swedish hardcore tradition, driven by Saira's unhinged vocal delivery and laced with furious socio-political lyrics. Their self-titled LP, recorded at Smegma Studios in 1997 and released on Skuld (Germany) and Profane Existence (US), is a 28-track document of raw, throttling hardcore punk. "The Agony of Living" compilation followed the same year on HGF. The band toured Europe for 10 weeks in 1998 — their final run, with drummer Dominic Nigro filling in — hitting squats and DIY venues across the continent before calling it quits after roughly three years of existence. Despite the short lifespan, Detestation's influence on female-fronted crust and anarcho-punk has been outsized. Their records remain essential listening in the genre. Saira went on to become a fashion designer in Minneapolis and played bass in shock punk band Faggot. The band reunited for a one-off show in 2024, proving the demand never went away. Note: this is a Portland, Oregon band, not Japanese — though the name sometimes gets confused with G.I.S.M.'s 1984 album "Detestation."