Information/Write-up
The Mad (originally M.A.D. – Mutually Assured Destruction) were a crossover punk/thrash band formed in Chatham, Ontario in the late 1980s. Emerging from Southwestern Ontario’s underground scene, the group built a reputation for aggressive, politically charged material that bridged hardcore punk and thrash metal at a time when few regional bands were breaking beyond local circuits.
The band’s early recordings appeared under the M.A.D. name, including the Generation Zero cassette (1989), which helped establish them within Canada’s national underground network. A deal with Toronto’s Fringe Records followed, leading to their first full-length album, Taboo of the Western World (1991), which documented a key lineup shift and marked their move toward wider national distribution.
By the early 1990s, the band shortened their name to The Mad and released their final full-length, Songs for the Ugly, recorded in Montréal in 1992. The album reflected a tighter, more refined lineup and expanded their sound while maintaining the band’s confrontational edge. A final 7-inch single, Albino (1993), followed, recorded at dB Studios in London, Ontario.
The Mad shared stages with bands including SNFU, Dayglo Abortions, NOFX, Death Angel, The Accused, and Armed & Hammered, and were among a small number of Chatham-area bands to achieve national distribution. Their recorded output documents a brief but active period in Canada’s late-1980s and early-1990s crossover underground.
-Robert Williston
Musicians
Mat Davis: guitars, vocals
Rob Johnson: vocals, guitars
Jeff McFadden: bass
Terry Hart: drums
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