1st album 'The Age of Quarrel' taken from the Vedic description of this current age of Kali-yuga
Strugglin in the streets just trying to survive
Searchin for the truth is just keepin us alive
Gotta break these shackles gotta break these chains
Said the only way we'll do it is if we use our brains
Said there's gotta be some meaning to the purpose of life
I know there must be more than the struggle and strife
Cause I'm looking for the answers and I need a clue
Cause my mind's so disturbed now what do I do?
Notice everywhere there's mass confusion and packs of lies
We gotta know!
We're starin down our enemies in the eyes
We gotta know!
These are the days of the cheaters and the cheated
We gotta know!
But we're not gonna bend you know we won't be defeated
We gotta know!
Cause my minds so disturbed now What do I do?
What do I do? What do I do?
This planet's turnin into a hell
And I figured out that things don't really look too well
Reactions coming they're already starting to show
But the question is who'll go with the flow
You know there's gonna... be a fight
Cause somebody's always tryin to keep ya... from doing the right
There's always gonna be somebody comin no matter where you go
So now you know why we gotta know
(Cro-Mags 'We Gotta Know')
'Near Death Experience' album cover depicting the classic Vedic story of Ajamila being saved from the Yamadutas (agents of death)
Ancient reminders of worlds gone by
Concrete tombstones reach for the sky
Like hieroglyphic writings on the wall
Modern man just doesn't seem to hear his call
Force of times behind the changes bound to come
Primitive man was once forced to succumb
Both caught in a web of eternal quest
Wiped out by their search for conquest
Taken back to a land of wonder and of fear
Prehistoric creatures stalked the wild frontier
All can be told in unlocking of the past
Cyclical repetition ah we see the contrast
Skeletons in a closet as dark as the mind
Hidden truths there shine light for the blind
Somewhere back in time when cave dwellers walked
Was a spoken language that needed not be talked
Extinction found the way
To man of yesterday
Only to occur in tragedies today
Lost innocence in the maze of confusion
Sets the final stage for this drama of illusion
Simplicity's the key to modern man's survival
As the age of darkness makes a new arrival
We search for relics to enlighten our horizons
It plays like the movies the same old reruns
Scientists dig to unfold great mysteries
As we plunge forward engulfed by our destinies
What will future man uncover in our ruin
Kali yuga progresses wheels of time are spun
Technological society buried by ignorance
Fossils for decay victims of circumstance
(Cro-Mags 'Kali-yuga')
I can tell you that the murder's plain to see
Every time I think about the unborn's misery
I know that every soul's got a right to live
And so you take that life that only God could give
Chorus: Oh, you know it's true
Oh, your body your choice
Now listen to your unborn babies voice
You know I'm never gonna see the light of day
Not a single word ever will I say
When there's death in the womb life is lost
And your life will someday be the cost
(chorus)
You see the prophecy's unfolding
They tld us what this age would bring
I've taken shelter in your womb
And it's become my resting tomb
I can tell you that the murder's plain to see
Every time I think about the unborn's misery
I know that every soul's got a right to live
And so you take that life that only God could give
(chorus)
(Cro-Mags 'Death in the Womb')
Lying awake on that hospital bed
Your mind is alive but your body's dead
Dreams of salvation runnin all through your head
As you realize taht you might soon be dead
You see death starin you in the eyes
At that moment is when you relaize
All things you held close to you
Won't do a thing to pull you through
There's nothing the doctors can do
When death comes calling on you
Your life flashes in front of your face
Moments in life you try to embrace
And as you gasped for your last breath
Only God can save you from such
A near death experience
(Cro-Mags 'Near Death Experience')
BIOGRAPHY
The Cro-Mags were formed in 1980 in New York's Lower East Side, and area notorious for it's gangs and violence. Externally they seem like any other hardcore punk band from that era – big guys with tatoos and shaved heads, except for the theme of spirituality in their songs and albums covers which might seem to some incongruous with the hard image they portrayed. With their first album 'The Age of Quarrel', inspired by the Vedic philosophy which foretold this dark age, they soon became a reckoning force in the scene in which they spread their message.
They were only in their mid-teens when the band began, nevertheless they really chalked the way out not only for New York Hardcore but later for the increasing number of bands taking Krishna consciousness and teaching it through music to fans worldwide. John Joseph was previosly a roadie for legendary rastafarian punk band the Bad Brains, who turned him on to the Krishna's philosophy. Joseph, Harley and Doug all began visiting the Hare Krishna temple in Brookyln where they gradually became practicing members, to one extent or the other. John Joseph lived in the Hawaii temple between 82 and 83, and their lyrics became infused with philosophical slants taken from their lessons learned at the temple.
After their debut LP they soon split due to internal problems, then reformed in 1989. Their second album 'Best Wishes' had, ironically, the half-man half-lion incarnation of Nrsimhadeva on the cover, tearing apart the demon Hiranyakasipu – a parallel to modern day man destroying an evil and demoniac empire which the alternative music scene didn't want any part of.
Recording albums titled like 'Near Death Experience' and 'Alpha Omega' the themes of reincarnation and spirituality continued alongside music which was often times fast and brutal. Their crowd is a lost generation in a world of exploitation and greed, working class youth considered dysfunctional in today's capitalist state, unified in their interest in alternative music and a deeper seated knowledge from ancient times to keep them sinking into the all too common urban trap of alcohol, drugs and violent crime.
To this day the band still continues. They may have had different line-ups but one thing which has remained is the desire to spread genuine knowledge to a specific audience.
Today's singer John Joseph is an initiated devotee, 'Jayananda das', and has lived a period of time in the Brooklyn temple community in New York. More recently he has unfortunately defected to one of the many schisms in today's Hare Krishna movement, in lieu of the problems it has faced. Despite this, no doubt many people have come into contact with Krishna through the Cro-Mags influence and so respect is given where it is due. John Joseph also had a band called 'Both Worlds' who toured Europe in 1996. Other members featured in the bands White Devil, Samsara and Harley's War.
Official Cro-Mags website: www.cro-mags.com
2nd album 'Best Wishes' with Lord Nrsimhadeva on the cover (half-man half-lion incarnation of the Supreme)
"The Cro-Mags' Hare Krishna connection came from vocalist John Joseph. After his numerous visits to the Krishna temple on Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn, "Bloodclot" began speaking the word by handing out leaflets to the hardcore community, convinced of the numerous parallels in their alternative lifestyles-vegaterianism, anti-materialism and political pacification. Harley soon joined the fold and became a fellow devotee of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. If there was a major dichotomy about the Cro-Mags, it was the juxtaposition of their calm, Krishna-bred sensibilities and that violent vibe Cro-Mags fans loved so much. Spritual discipline was initially an unifying factor, but individual inabilities to meet those religious expectations ultimately contributed to the band's demise. Ultimately, the Cro-Mags were their own worst enemies. Because the were living embodiments of punk attitude, self-destruction was the only logical step..."
-Steven Blush NYC, 1994
Wastin my time servin my mind / For sense pleasures I can find
Gotta get back, back to the truth / You know it was left behind
It's so easy to see, if you wanna be free / Don't wanna be just a slave
Cause no matter how you choose / You know you'll lose
If you ain't looking for the truth
Searchin and searchin for something real / You gotta know how I feel
Cause we been looking after the truth / Rejected those lies of our youth
You've seen the proof / This ain't no spoof
They tried to bend the truth / And we won't regret the things we met
If we're on the path of righteousness / Now we gotta, we gotta go back
Something ain't right so we gotta, we gotta go back
Trace our steps and see what we've done / It's time for us to go back to square one
You just can't seem to see what I mean / You know what I'm talkin about
Cause we been in bondage much too long / Don't you think it's time to get out
See time has taken it's toll and they're in control / We can't let this madness last
Gotta make our move / Get in the groove
We gotta do something fast
(Cro-Mags 'Seekers of the Truth')
CRO-MAGS – The Age of Quarrel (Rock Hotel/Profile) 1986 Best Wishes (Profile) 1989
"Although led by a Hare Krishna devotee, these New York hardcore kings neither jangle finger cymbals nor chant religious mantras on The Age of Quarrel, a blaze of state-of-the-art punk aggro. Vocalist John Joseph (co-lyricist with bassist Harley Flanagan) roars through humanist lyrics about peace, trust, independence and justice as the band keeps up the mid-speed speaker-shredding with two guitarists doing their best to update Ritchie Blackmore's throaty Deep Purple sound. Drummer Mackie regulates the tempo enough to ensure an adequate proportion of mosh parts (generally at the beginning of songs rather than the middle), but often unnervingly sounds like he's playing an entirely different song from his bandmates.
With varied tempos, extended song lengths, more guitar solos and effectively threatening atmosphere, an overhauled lineup – now featuring Flanagan on vocals (in place of the departed Joseph) and ex-Kraut guitarist Doug Holland sharing the axe duties with Parris Mitchel Mayhew – made an effective stylistic transition from metallic punk to punky metal on Best Wishes. While most of the tightly structured tracks thunder along with little subtlety (except in the lyrics), Flanagan does deliver his devotional sentiments in "The Only One" with dramatic flair."
– Ira Robbins