JUDGE was formed in 1987 by Mike Ferraro and John Porcell, both of whom were in YOUTH OF TODAY. After YOUTH OF TODAY’s Break Down The Walls tour in the summer of ’87, Mike, with John in tow, decided to split and record the JUDGE New York Crew EP. He wanted to take the straight-edge message against smoking, drugs, and alcohol even further. It turned out Mike had a ferocious voice, and with the in-your-face, no-regrets messaging of songs like “Fed Up” and “In My Way,” the music became heavier, taking hardcore in a new direction.
The band was gaining some momentum and Mike’s friend Jimmy Yu, a Buddhist Monk and black belt, joined on bass, and after a few shows and a demo with drummers Drew Thomas (BOLD) and Luke Abbey (WARZONE), drummer Sammy Siegler (SIDE BY SIDE, YOUTH OF TODAY) joined. The band then geared up to record their debut LP for Revelation Records at the famed NYC studio Chung King. The studio, located in Chinatown in NYC, was known for records by SLAYER, BEASTIE BOYS, DANZIG, and more. It was also pricey, and with the budget the band had, they were left to a rotating cast of studio interns, often getting the night shift starting at midnight and finishing in the early morning. This resulted in a recording that wasn’t what the band had hoped for. The decision was made a little late to scrap it, and since the pressing process had already begun, Revelation Records founder Jordan Cooper decided to press 100 of them on white vinyl and call it Chung King Can Suck It. Cooper gave the band an additional recording budget to re-record the album, so they went to Normandy Sound and laid down what would become their official debut full-length release, Bringin’ It Down.
JUDGE toured the US twice, in ’89 and ’90, planting the seeds for them to perform today in South America, South East Asia, Europe, and elsewhere in recent years. The Chung King Can Suck It LP took on a life of its own, becoming extremely sought after with record collectors. It was the most valuable album in the world on the website Discogs for some time, in the company of PRINCE, THE BEATLES, and THE MISFITS, with recent copies selling for over $8,000. This never really sat well with the band, but it was out of their hands.
The recording is a piece of the band’s history, a documentation of the early years which includes two unreleased songs, “I’m Holding On” and “No Apologies.” In celebration of the 200th release from Revelation Records, Chung King Can Suck It has been remastered and re-pressed, with updated packaging containing some never-before-seen photos by Jeffrey Ladd and a reversed-out version of the now iconic album cover
Tracklisting:
1. Take Me Away
2. Bringing’ It Down
3. Hold Me Back
4. Give It Up
5. The Storm
6. Hear Me
7. Like You
8. I’ve Lost
9. Holding On
10. No Apologies
