Deep Wound

Deep Wound was a hardcore punk band, which formed in 1982 in Westfield, MA. They released one self-titled 7" and contributed 2 songs to the compilation LP Bands That Could Be God. Both releases are sought after by fans and record collectors alike. They are often noted as being, along with Siege, one of the early inspirations for grindcore due the young J Mascis's (later of Dinosaur Jr.) manic drumming. J Mascis & Charlie Nakajima lived in Amherst, MA, and attended high school with each other. In 1982, J met Scott at the Oi singles bin in Main Street Records. He would soon be on bass. Scott posted a flier soon after looking for musicians into Anti-Pasti, Discharge and the like. J called to audition and had his dad drive him and his drums over to guitarist Lou Barlow's place in Westfield, MA. They had a singer already, but J got them to replace him with Charlie, and Deep Wound was created. They made a cassette, got a few gigs in Boston with the X-Claim bands (SSD, FU's, Jerry's Kids, etc.) and became the Western Mass band most likely to open for hardcore punk visitors. They only played in the New England area. They cut an EP, had tracks on Gerard Cosloy's Bands That Could Be God comp and even did a late-period session with Gerard singing that has disappeared. They eventually played faster and faster, eventually developing a blur that could verge on experimental noise. Soon after they disbanded in 1984. Mascis and Barlow later formed the band Dinosaur Jr. Barlow later left Dinosaur Jr. and formed Sebadoh and Folk Implosion. Scott Helland formed the Outpatients and now works as a solo acoustic artist. Charlie later formed Gobblehoof. Mascis can often be seen sporting a 'Deep Wound' sweater (which had been knitted by his mother) in Dinosaur Jr photographs . In April 2004, Sonic Youth played a show at John Green Hall on the Smith College campus in Northampton MA where J Mascis and Sebadoh were the opening acts. It was the first time J Mascis and Lou Barlow had shared a stage since Lou left Dinosaur Jr, and anticipation was that the 2 would reunite with a few Dinosaur Jr songs. Unexpectedly though, after J Mascis' set, Mascis returned to the stage on drums and Charlie Nakajima came out to address the crowd. Barlow and Helland soon ran out and the stunned audience was witness to a 1 song Deep Wound reunion. In 2005, British record label Damaged Goods made a Discography LP compiling the 1982 demo, s/t 7” and the tracks from Bands That Could Be God.