Originating from the Erlangen/Nuernberg area of Germany, their first real public performance was at an annual punk rock festival in their hometown, along with other local bands. After the show, they were offered several slots as support acts for more established bands all over Germany.
In May 1994, they released their debut EP, Beware, Poisonous! on their own Oxyfactory Records label. The EP was soon reissued by Helen of Oi! Records in October of that year, which led to a full-length album deal. While recording Fuck The Nineties—Here’s Our Noize, bassist Filzlaus left the band, and was eventually replaced by a friend, Arne. Helen of Oi! Records originally released the album on vinyl in May 1995, and re-released it on CD in the United States in February 1996.
Following the release of Fuck The Nineties—Here’s Our Noize, which received great underground reviews, Oxymoron began to tour across Germany as well as in Europe. They band released a split EP with english band Braindance, entitled Mohican Melodies in September 1995. Oxymoron released the Crisis Identity EP in March 1996 on Arne’s short-lived Rough Beat Records label, and the band appeared on Helen Of Oi!’s Streetpunk Worldwide compilation EP in the same year. They also embarked on their first US tour, along the east coast with Braindance and The Casualties. Also in 1996, Oxymoron made the jump to the German Knock-Out Records label, which released the band's second full-length, The Pack Is Back, in April 1997. The release was followed by more touring in Europe, as well as a three-week summer tour in Japan with The Discocks. Oxymoron established themselves well in the American and German punk scene as an anti-racist streetpunk band.
In 1998, several tours were cancelled, Sucker had to be hospitalized for nerve damage, and Arne decided to leave the band just weeks before they were to head back into the studio. They released a split with Dropkick Murphys titled Irish Stout vs. German Lager. Chrissy, who temporarily had been a second guitarist and had played bass on the first US tour, stepped in on bass. March 1999 saw the release of the mini-album, Westworld, and was followed by more touring of Europe as well as a seven-week coast-to-coast US tour with Dropkick Murphys and the Ducky Boys. Chrissy left the band after the tour and was quickly replaced by Morpheus.
In October 2000, Oxymoron released a compilation album, Best Before 2000, which included all previous 7” singles, along with tracks from previous compilations. November 2001 marked the release of the Savage Output EP, which included three tracks from their upcoming full-length along and one unreleased track. Their third full-length album, Feed The Breed was also released in November 2001, and was followed by a six-week coast-to-coast US tour, as well as a European/German tour.
Martin, decided to leave the band, which led to Chrissy stepping in on guitar. They eventually found a replacement guitarist, but he left in the middle of the 2002 US tour. The band’s driver, Davey, filled the void for the remainder of the tour, and also on the following European tour.
While not announcing an official breakup, Oxymoron has been on an indefinite hiatus since 2002, when Oxymoron announced: "In the near future you won't hear much from us. Oxymoron will have a break for a while! We'll let you know what's going on here, but first of all we definitely [need to] take some time off with the band." In 2005 they reported that "the band is still on ice." 2006 saw the release of somewhat new material in the Noize Overdose split EP with Bonecrusher. The EP contained previously unreleased tracks, along with live footage from a 1999 Hamburg, Germany concert. 2006 also marked the release of the first album of Sucker’s solo project, Bad Co. Project, entitled Sucker Stories.
Current members
Sucker: Vocals (1992-Present)
Bjoern: Drums (1992-Present)
Morpheus: Bass (1999-Present)
Former members
Filzlaus: Bass (1992-1994)
Martin: Guitar (1992-2001)
Arne: Bass (1995-1998)
Chrissy: Bass (1996 US Tour, 1998-1999)
Chrissy: Guitar (2001)
Unknown Member: Guitar (Played for part of 2002 US Tour)
Davey: Guitar (2002)
What's Going On
Oxymoron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While the cool places all are closing down
Subculture's wiped out systematically
But we're not gone if you drive us away
Anger's rising, how surprising
What the fuck is going on here
You're scared us off but we're still out there
What's up, man
What the fuck is going on here
Where to go, say, where to go
This scheme of yours ain't getting nowhere
What's up anyway
Punkrock's banned, "skins don't get in here"
It's getting hard to set up gigs somewhere
Our cities dying through the council's hand
Where once we went to now there's fallow land
Tidy nation operation
Your townscape suffers from the likes of us
Did you expect us to be off so fast ?
You can take away our clubs and tear them down
But you ain't rid of us we're still in town
You're gonna get your fucking doors kicked in
The song "What's Going On" by Oxymoron highlights the issues that the punk subculture faced in the 90s. The lyrics talk about how more and more subculture clubs and venues were being shut down while the generic and mainstream places were thriving. The singer laments how punk rock has been banned, and the skins are not even allowed into certain areas. The council, in its attempt to "clean up" the city, has left nothing but fallow land where subcultures once thrived.
The anger is palpable in the song, and the lyrical themes are echoed in the music. The relentless beat and the aggressive guitars perfectly complement the message of the lyrics. The chorus is a rallying cry for punks and other subcultures, reminding them that they may have been driven out, but they are still here, and they will not be silenced.
Oxymoron's song is a powerful statement on the struggles of the punk subculture, and the issues that all alternative subcultures face in a society that values conformity over individuality.
Line by Line Meaning
More shitty venues shooting from the ground
New, low-quality music venues are opening up, while the better ones are closing down.
While the cool places all are closing down
The best music venues are shutting down, making it difficult to find quality places to perform.
Subculture's wiped out systematically
The different subcultures and their music are being erased deliberately and methodically.
But we're not gone if you drive us away
Despite being pushed out, we are still present and will not be silenced.
Anger's rising, how surprising
People are becoming more and more angry about the situation, which should not be surprising.
What the fuck is going on here
The singer is expressing confusion and frustration about the state of music venues.
Where to go, say, where to go
The singer is questioning where they can perform or find quality music venues.
You're scared us off but we're still out there
Despite being pushed out, the music subcultures and their performers are still present.
What's up, man
The artist is demanding to know what is happening and what the plan is.
This scheme of yours ain't getting nowhere
The plan to eradicate the music subcultures is not succeeding.
What's up anyway
The singer is again demanding an explanation for the situation.
Punkrock's banned, "skins don't get in here"
The music subcultures are being denied access to venues and banned outright.
It's getting hard to set up gigs somewhere
Finding places to perform is becoming increasingly difficult.
Our cities dying through the council's hand
The cities are deteriorating as a result of the actions of the council.
Where once we went to now there's fallow land
The once-vibrant music scenes are now empty and lifeless.
Tidy nation operation
The council is carrying out a 'neat and tidy' operation, which is having a negative effect on the music scene.
Your townscape suffers from the likes of us
The council is blaming the music subcultures for the degradation of the town, but in reality it is their own fault.
Did you expect us to be off so fast ?
The performers have not left as quickly as the council may have hoped.
You can take away our clubs and tear them down
The council is demolishing music venues or shutting them down, but this will not silence the music subcultures.
But you ain't rid of us we're still in town
Despite the council's efforts, the music subcultures and their performers are still present.
You're gonna get your fucking doors kicked in
The performers will not give up without a fight, and will break down the council's metaphorical doors.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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