Outpatients Story

These are just a few of the memories from back in the day...


Outpatients at Hardcore showOutpatients formed in 1982 out of the ashes of Vis' first group MACE (`80-`82). Vis started MACE with Mike Kingsbury in the summer of 1980, playing Motorhead and Black Sabbath covers and original songs to bewildered Doors fans in the Western Massachusetts area. Scott formed his own band in early `82 with high school buddy Lou Barlow. The band came to be known as Deep Wound, Western Mass' first hardcore band.

After MACE's original bass player left to join the Navy, Scott, only 14 years old and still in Deep Wound at the time, joined with Vis and Mike, and the Outpatients were formed. After dozens of "punk rock" parties around Western, MA, Outpatients recorded their first tape, "The Basement Tape", on Feb 4, 1983, the night before their first "real" gig at The Guiding Star Grange Hall in Greenfield, MA. Deep Wound also shared the bill that night, along with with several local and out-of-town groups, including All White Jury, B.I.U and Grey Matter. The group was an instant hit.

Initially, most of the local clubs didn't allow this kind of underground music and Outpatients began setting up numerous local shows and benefits in halls as well playing more shows throughout New England. Then came the shows in Boston with great bands like SS Decontrol, Sorry and Proletariat; shows in New York City including Rock Hotel, Lismar Lounge, and the infamous CBGB's hardcore matinees with Sheer Terror, Mental Abuse and Warzone; and shows in Connecticut with The Vatican Commandos, C.I.A., and Reflex from Pain and shows in Canada. In addition, there were shows in Rhode Island with Verbal Assault and Rash of Stabbings; shows in Vermont with Public Disturbance and shows in New Hampshire that G.G. Allin would M.C. before being kicked out by the club owner. Of course, there were many Western Mass. shows with Black X-Mass, Catharsis, No Preservatives, and out of town bands like Husker Du, Black Flag, J.F.A. and Crucifix. Plus an East Coast tour with California's Battalion of Saints.

The Outpatients "Basement Tape" has been traded, sold, and bootleged worldwide and has sold for nearly $100 in auctions. The band was also featured on several highly sought after compilations, and fianlly released a full-lengh album in 1988. This same year Vis and Scott re-located to New York City to play in the final lineup of NYC's metal-core group, School of Violence which broke up in 1990. With the coals still hot from an OP demo release in 1989, 1990 found the group re-launched in NYC with several demos of new material. Not to be bound too tightly to any single genre, the songs had progressed quite a bit from their former sound into a unique and ecclectic form of metal. 1991 saw a grueling work schedule and the release of the "Life on the Outside" followed by a South American tour in 1992. Outpatients released the full length "Test of Time" Cd in 1993 recorded by legendary New York hardcore producer Don Fury.


Along with some truly terrific times, Outpatients had many very hard times, struggles and member changes and eventually split up in 1995.


Here are some of the bands Outpatients shared the stage with:
Psycho, C.I.A., 7 Seconds, Big Boys, Personality Crisis, Melvins, Prong, The Dicks, Corrosion of Conformity, The Vatican Commandos, 76% Uncertain, Dresden, Ultra Violence, Agnostic Front, No Milk on Tuesday, Cro-Mags, G.B.H., D.Y.S., Gang Green, Crucifix, S.S.D., Negative FX, Borscht, F.U.'s, Husker Du, J.F.A., Black Flag, No Preservatives, Pat on the Back, Scream, Raven, Siege, Cancerous Growth, Reflex from Pain, Verbal Assault, Sheer Terror, Sorry, Bedlam, Mental Abuse, Leeway, Battalion of Saints, Rich Kids on LSD, Public Disturbance, the Catatonics, Deep Wound, All White Jury, the Raunchettes, Black X-Mas, Catharsis, Rockin' Bobcats, Liquid Lesson, the Circle, Dinosaur Jr, School of Violence, Necros, Articles of Faith, Rash of Stabbings, Voltron, Raw Power, Seizure, Sex Bomb, S.O.M, Moving Targets, Adrenalin OD, Proletariat, First Circle, Raging Slab, Da Stupids, Raw Deal, Underdog, Murphy's Law, Pajama Slave Dancers, The Vandalz, Section 8, Reagan Youth, 8th Route Army, The Mob, White Pigs, Life Sentence, Christ on Parade, White Wreckage, the Freeze, Fast Furious Death, Chronic Disorder, Angry Red Planet, Crippled Judgement, Saint Vitus, Tom Triccolis Dog, Dough Boys, P.M.S., Warzone, Unjust, Don't Ask, Lost Generation, Dream Theater, Reptile House, Riisieeti... and many more. Outpatients in Manhattan

Description:
Outpatients existed from 1982-1995
Outpatients made Maximum RnR's Top 20 in 1983
Outpatients toured the eastern US in 1984
Outpatients toured in South America in 1992

OPs are listed in the books:
-American Hardcore
-All Ages
-Fucked up and Photocopied The Art of the Punk Movement
-American Hardcore The Movie

Outpatients also included these other members:
Scot Bates - Drums 1987-1993
Marc Lichtenstein - Guitar 1990-1993
Mike Smith - Drums 1993-1995

Vis Helland is currently playing in Uncomfortables
Scott Helland now plays with Frenchy and the Punk
Marc Lictenstein now plays with Empire Road