Trust

Not only was Trust one of the few French bands able to cross their country's frontiers, but they also made it without having to drop their native language or their half-punk, half-heavy metal ethics along the way. And that's saying something. Formed in 1977 around Bernard "Bernie" Bonvoisin (vocals), Nobert "Nono" Krief (guitars), Yves "Vivi" Brusco (bass), and an ever-changing set of drummers (including Iron Maiden's Clive Burr and Nicko McBrain), the band came up up a mix of influences, the most obvious of which might be AC/DC (with whom they toured a bit) and early Iron Maiden. But if Trust was musically a shiny killing machine (thanks, mainly, to Nono's guitar playing abilities and firepower), a large part of their appeal came from Bernie's energy and socially concerned lyrics, which earned them occasional censorship. If their most famous hit remains "Antisocial" (covered in 1988 by New York thrashers Anthrax on their State of Euphoria LP), the early days Trust actually came up with a whole bunch of molotov cocktails. It was all about fingerpointing the greedy boss, the abusive policeman, the broadcasted lesson-giver, the hypocrisy-driven religious man, and singing for the weak, the poor, the abused. That may have been the key to their success, but it was sincere. The '80s quickly saw their popularity drop after the heights of 1979's eponymous album, 1980's Repression, and 1981's Marche ou Crève. Nono went on to became Johnny Hallyday's stage guitarist, and Bernie became a comedian and director (1997's Les Démons de Jésus being his most striking, cruelly funny effort). The band re-formed from time to time, to tour a little, release new tracks, and/or live albums. (Note: some of their LPs are available with English-sung lyrics, including 1980's classic Repression).