Al Barile, the influential guitarist of the pioneering Boston hardcore band SS Decontrol (SSD), has passed away at the age of 63. Barile died on Sunday at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. His wife, Nancy Barile, announced his death on Instagram, sharing that while the cause was not specified, her husband had been diagnosed with colon cancer in 2022 and “passed away peacefully” with her by his side.
SSD was a vital force in the early 1980s hardcore scene, and their anti-establishment music was integral to the straight-edge movement, which rejected drugs and alcohol. Alongside Washington’s Minor Threat, SSD helped define the genre’s ethos, speaking out against the hypocrisy of government, organized religion, and societal oppression. The band’s music, marked by short, fast songs with intense guitar riffs, became a defining characteristic of hardcore punk.
Their 1982 album The Kids Will Have Their Say was released with a provocative cover photo of young people storming the steps of the Massachusetts State House. Critics praised its raw energy and its uncompromising message. “The Kids Will Have Their Say is so unsettling, so ugly, that SS Decontrol’s fans needn’t worry about their champs’ succumbing to creeping commercialism — not even accidentally,” wrote Joyce Millman in the Boston Phoenix in 1982. The band’s follow-up, Get It Away (1983), was described as a “definitive hardcore classic” by Trouser Press.
Barile was born on October 4, 1961, in Lynn, Massachusetts. He was drawn to music after hearing the Ramones, and he eventually formed SSD while studying mechanical engineering at Northeastern University. The band also included bassist Jaime Sciarappa, drummer Chris Foley, and vocalist David Spring, known as Springa.
In a 2024 documentary about SSD, Springa recalled Barile’s vision for the band: “Al comes out and makes the big speech — and I remember this as clear as I remember my f— 8th birthday. ‘OK, what this band is gonna be about — it’s not gonna be a groovy type of band where people go out on the dance floor and shake their ass. We’re making a statement here: It’s about anti-government, anti-society, anti-conformity and breaking down the barriers between the band and the audience.’”
Barile himself explained that SSD was born in response to the famous Boston bands like Aerosmith and The Cars, whom he felt lacked sincerity. He admired Minor Threat’s straight-edge message, which was encapsulated in their 1981 EP with the song “Straight Edge.” Barile and SSD embraced that same philosophy, offering a choice away from the party lifestyle typical of the ’70s suburban scene. Nancy Barile reflected on this, noting that the straight-edge philosophy “provided kids with a choice from the typical ’70s suburban party lifestyle.”
SSD’s debut album was released through a joint effort between Xclaim! Records and Ian MacKaye’s Dischord label. The band later added guitarist Francois Levesque for their 1983 release Get It Away before releasing two more heavy-metal-leaning LPs. SSD disbanded in 1985, after which Barile formed the band Gage and worked as an engineer for General Electric.
In 2023, SSD was inducted into the New England Music Hall of Fame, a testament to the lasting influence of Barile and his band on the hardcore scene.
Related Topics
- Previously Unreleased Drum Cam Footage of Nick Menza Performing “Train Of Consequences” Surfaces on YouTube
- Judas Priest’s Richie Faulkner Opens Up About Ongoing Struggles with Guitar Playing After Brain Damage
- John Dolmayan Reveals How the Iconic Drumbeat in “Toxicity” Was Born Out of Frustration
