The Red Scare

In August 1997, four college friends launched The Red Scare in Knoxville, Tennessee, uniting Matt Hall's explosive and unique drumming with Kip Uhlhorn's frantic guitars, Abbie Wintker's bass, and Adam Ewing's second guitar. Early local performances helped the group cultivate a reputation through brief yet propulsive shows that echoed the style of Sleepytime Trio and Gravity Records heroes Heroin. Jon Asher took over Adam Ewing's guitar role by 1998, after which the band completed an initial short tour alongside Milemarker, Orchid, and Hail Mary. Capillary Lockdown arrived in November 1999, delivering apocalyptic visions through propulsive and nearly overwhelming rhythms. A second extended tour with Orchid in June 2000 lasted more than a month and preceded work on Strangers Die Everyday. On that release the band integrated explosive tracks such as "Risking Your Life With a Capital R" and "Smoky Mountain High" with unusual metallic collages, while the guitars retained a brutal edge yet produced dreamy passages exemplified by the title track. Uhlhorn's relocation to New York City marked the end of the group's recordings together; there he formed Panthers with former Orchid members Jayson Green, Jeff Salane, and Geoff Garlock. Matt Hall subsequently established the New Brutalism in Baltimore, Maryland.