Aus-Rotten - Definition and Overview

Aus Rotten was a political hardcore punk group which formed in the early 1990s. They took influence from the direct-action attitude of early 1980s "anarcho-punk", and put a new, heavier sound to it. They lyrically attacked issues such as American foreign policy, the corruption of the police department and special forces, the greed of "Corporate America", and the mistreatment of the American people by its government. The group's first EP was released in 1993, entitled the "Anti-Imperialist EP". The second EP "Fuck Nazi Sympathy" closely followed in 1994. They released a full album in 1996, "The System Works For Them", and then another in 1999, called "...And Now Back To Our Programming". The bands final album, "The Rotten Agenda" was released in 2001. Side projects of the band include Caustic Christ and Behind Enemy Lines. Aus Rotten is perhaps most famous not for their musical originality, but more for their sharp and "quotable" lyrics (eg "People Are Not Expendable, Government Is" and "As Long As Flags Fly Above Us, No One's Really Free").