Reissue seminal nardcore / skate punk album ‘In Control’ today via Trust Records – In stores this Friday, October 4.

Stäläg 13’s history can be traced all the way back to 1981 when original vocalist Ron Baird founded the band in Oxnard, California. Heavily influenced by East Coast Hardcore (Minor Threat, SSD, Bad Brains, DYS among others), Stäläg 13 were arguably the first West Coast hardcore punk band to espouse Straight Edge themes in their lyrics. Along with Dr. Know, Agression, Ill Repute, Stäläg 13 is considered one of the original Nardcore (Oxnard Hardcore) bands which went on to influence artists throughout the world with their unique take on fast and melodic hardcore. Stäläg 13 are defined by two core hallmarks, their Positive Mental Attitude and their intense and high energy live shows. From its inception band played live often, gathering a large and loyal following in Southern California, before venturing out on tours of the Western United States. Stäläg 13 recorded two early demo tapes in 1982 and 1983 before recording their highly influential album ‘In Control’ in 1984, which was their only official recorded output during their brief, yet powerful career in the 1980s. They were a band poised on the cusp of a big future when the band imploded while preparing for a large-scale, three month tour of North America to promote the debut’s release. The band broke up in early 1985 leaving behind a hardcore legacy that has seen ‘In Control’ go from strength to strength. Album has stood the test of time, due to the high quality of the recording as well as the prowess of the musicians playing and the insightful and thought-provoking lyrics. In 2002, Stäläg 13 returned to live performances, with the full ‘In Control’ line-up: Ron Baird – vocals, Blake Cruz – guitar, John Morris – bass, Larry White – drums and Dave Casillas – lead guitar. Over the years, they’ve toured intermittently with this lineup. The band wanted to continue playing, however with Baird living in Australia, this proved difficult. In late 2012, John Crerar (Missing 23rd, Stop Breathing, Head Cut) joined the band taking on vocal duties with the blessing of Ron. This version of Stäläg 13 went on to tour extensively overseas and recorded ‘Fill In The Silence’, an important contribution to the Stäläg 13 catalogue. This album included a mix of new material and re-recordings of some classic tracks from ‘In Control’, as well as some unrecorded tunes from the band’s early set. Fast forward to 2024. Trust Records is proud to announce they’ve been working diligently with the band to reissue a deluxe 40-year anniversary of ‘In Control’, and it’s available today across all retailers. Vinyl will be available in stores this Friday, October 4 and includes a 16 page booklet with flyers, memorabilia, unreleased photos, and the history of Stäläg 13 written by vocalist Ron Baird. All audio has been remastered by Dave Gardner. Stäläg 13 and Trust Records teamed up with director Brian Balchack to bring fans a brand new official music video for ‘In Control’’s opener ‘Conditioned’. All footage, some unseen, was captured by Louis Elovitz from the mid 80s. Watch it below.

To celebrate ‘In Control’’s reissue, Ron Baird recently sat down with Dead Heat’s Chris Ramos to discuss hardcore and more for Trust Records’ One Two Me You series. In addition, Baird compiled a playlist consisting of his top 1983 song picks which heavily influenced him and ‘In Control’’s creation. Of the playlist, he tells, “While the playlist is a mix of genres and from different geographical locations, what they have in common is that all of these songs spoke to me on a visceral level as they are connected by a charged sense of interrogating our society, its values, relationships, and meanings on both an emotional and a political level.

‘In Control’ – Deluxe Reissue Tracklisting:

SIDE A

1 – Conditioned
2 – No Excuse
3 – Black Stix / Silver Badge
4 – Sometime

SIDE B

5 – Clean Up Your Act
6 – Black And Gray
7 – What Are You Looking For
8 – The Choice Is Yours
9 – In Control

Stäläg 13 Live Dates:

Oct 10th – Mokuyobi – Shizuoka So Gen
Oct 11th – Kin’Yobi – Yokohama Buzzfront
Oct 12th – Doyobi – Yokohama El Puente
Oct 13th – Nichiyobi – Tokyo Hall
Oct 14th – Getsuyaobi – Tokyo Kappunk
Oct 16th – Suiyobi – Tokyo Pit Bar