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Crandon Park Beach, 1995

DEATH AND DESTRUCTION FOR JESUS

Frank’s Enemy started as a one-man project with Julio Rey recording some songs on his 4-track with his drum machine in 1990-1991 (as Julio’s previous band, the Lead, was in its final stages), and putting the results up for sale in newsletters. One thing led to another, and Julio met Marc Golob when looking for a bassist for another project called Global Warning in late 1991. After Global Warning didn’t happen, Julio asked Marc a) would he be willing to play the material on the demos b) did he know a thrash drummer. The answers were a) Yes b) Yes, Alex A. So Frank’s Enemy’s five-year run as a group started.

While together, Alex, Marc and Julio played all kinds of “-core” music (hard, grind, etc) sometimes trying to do them all at once. For their troubles they were kicked out of secular clubs twice and got barred from several churches, got called “satanic” by at least one irate parent and caused several youth groups to pack up and leave at a beach concert. They also enjoyed a rabid local following and ministered boldly, fearlessly and personally at their shows.

Frank’s Enemy played with bands such as Mortification, Living Sacrifice, Jesus Freaks, Crashdog, Strongarm, Nonpoint Factor and the Clergy. They played Michigan Mosh 1994, embarked on a short national tour in 1995, played the Mosh Fest again in 1996, and took a short tour of the southern US in early 1997. That summer, another short tour saw them play both Texas Rockfest ’ 97 and Cornerstone ’97. They played regularly in the South Florida and Tampa Bay areas.

Their recorded output consists of a CD/cassette release entitled FRANK’S ENEMY, put out in 1994, on Not Silent. This was preceded by a demo, QOHELETH, released in 1993 also on Not Silent. The band’s second CD, NEOBLASPHEMIES, was released on Cling Recordings, along with a punk cassette EP called NEVER MIND FRANK’S ENEMY HERE’S LOOGIE SOUP. The second CD’s two singles, Torturer (featured on Rowe Production’s MASSIVE FREQUENCY OVERLOAD compilation) and Hanging On A Tree charted significantly in the Pure Rock Report’s loud chart. The band’s third full-length CD, ILLUMINATION, was released in late 1998.

The ride ended in December 1997 as Julio and Alex played their last show with the band. Both wanted to devote more time to their families. Marc and new drummer Ben Thacker (who had filled in for Alex in the January 1997 mini-tour), with Julio’s blessing and ‘encouragement’ attempted a new lineup in early 1998, with Jed Brewer on keyboards and Sprite on guitar. It failed to click.

By the end of that year, Julio asked Marc for permission to take back the Frank’s Enemy name. Marc agreed, and Frank’s Enemy came full circle and is once again a Julio Rey solo project. In 1999, Julio began work on a new rapcore recording, which was finally finished and released in 2002, as the title track of the four-song virtual EP ENRAGED. The following year, Frank’s Enemy’s rendition of the Coventry Carol was featured on the compilation CD, A BRUTAL CHRISTMAS.

Julio plans to begin recording as Frank’s Enemy again in 2008. The results will be available for download at Not Silent.