Biography
Scissorfight came together in 1995 as a New Hampshire punk outfit based in Portsmouth. Guitarist Jay Fortin, who performs under the names Geezum H. Crow and F*** You, joined forces with bassist Jarvis and drummer Joel Muzzey. The group fused grindcore and post-hardcore elements and brought in vocalist Ironlung, whose nickname reflected his tolerance for illegal substances, simply to “stand there and look scary.” After moving to Boston the band’s extreme conduct kept them at odds with the local scene; during one performance Ironlung dislocated his shoulder yet spent the set attempting to slam it back into place. Muzzey departed shortly afterward and was succeeded by Ironlung’s brother Kevin J. Strongbow. The revised lineup cut the band’s debut album, Guaranteed Kill, in 1996 and attracted considerable underground coverage. Their 1998 follow-up, Balls Deep, drew favorable notices from major outlets. Bolstered by this Boston momentum, the group signed with Tortuga Recordings and issued New Hampshire in 1999. Local airplay secured them a slot at the River Rave alongside Cypress Hill and Stone Temple Pilots. They next released the covers EP Piscataqua and appeared on MTV’s You Hear It First. Two albums arrived in 2001: the original Mantrapping for Sport and Profit and the British re-recording collection American Cloven Hoof Blues. A run of EPs—Potential New Agent for Unconventional Warfare, Deathchants, Breakdowns and Military Waltzes, Vol. 2, and Victory Over Horseshit—preceded the March 2006 full-length Jaggernaut.