DEATH IN JUNE
Death in June emerged in 1980 from the remnants of the punk unit
Crisis, reuniting singer/multi-instrumentalist Douglas Pearce
and bassist Tony Wakeford; drummer Patrick Leagas completed the
original lineup, which made its live debut late the following
year with an opening slot for the Birthday Party. The 12-inch
"Heaven Street" soon followed, and in 1983 Death in
June issued their first full-length effort, The Guilty Have No
Pride; from the outset, the group was criticized for its adoption
of fascist imagery, and charges of Nazism dogged Pearce throughout
his career.
Upon completing the Burial LP, Wakeford left the lineup to form
Sol Invictus; following the release of 1985's Nada!, only Pearce
remained, with Leagas exiting to form his own project, Sixth Comm.
Beginning with the 1986 double album The World That Summer, Pearce
continued Death in June primarily as a solo concern, aided by
a revolving group of collaborators including Current 93's David
Tibet, Boyd Rice and Coil's John Balance; the abrasive electronics
and martial rhythms of early efforts gave way to an increasingly
expansive sonic approach over the course of subsequent outings
including 1987's Brown Book, 1989's The Wall of Sacrifice and
1992's But, What Ends When the Symbols Shatter?, the latter evoking
Pearce's longstanding interest in traditional European folk music.
The first British act to perform in Croatia following the outbreak
of Yugoslavia's civil war, Death in June documented their experiences
on 1993's Something Is Coming; subsequent efforts include 1995's
Rose Clouds of Holocaust, 1997's Take Care and Control and 2000's
Operation Hummingbird.
