ALL

When renowned (and often copied) Los Angeles punk rockers the Descendents were forced to go on hiatus in the late '80s when singer Milo Aukerman left the group to attend college full-time, the remaining members decided to carry on under a different name: ALL (lifted from the title of the Descendents' final 1987 studio recording). Former Descendents members Bill Stevenson (drums), Stephen Egerton (guitar), and Karl Alvarez (bass) were all in attendance, as former Dag Nasty frontman Dave Smalley assumed vocal duties. The group signed on with the Cruz label, issuing an EP and a full-length album in 1988, Allroy for Prez and Allroy Sez, before Smalley was replaced with Scott Reynolds. The Reynolds-led version of ALL issued four albums overall: 1989's Allroy's Revenge, 1990's Trailblazer: Live and Allroy Saves, and 1992's Percolator (in addition to their own releases, the entire band backed original Descendents' bass player Tony Lombardo on his 1991 solo release New Girl, Old Story, which was credited to Tonyall). Soon after, it was then Reynolds' turn to bid the band farewell (later turning up in the bands Goodbye Harry and the Pavers) and Chad Price stepped in, resulting in such further releases as the band's last release for Cruz, 1993's Breaking Things. 1995's brief allegiance with a major label (Interscope) brought Pummel before they signed on with Epitaph and issuing 1998's Mass Nerder, 1999's self-titled release, and 2000's Problematic. In 1996, Aukerman and Stevenson teamed up once more to briefly reunite the Descendents (with ALL members Alvarez and Egerton filling in for the others), resulting in a tour and an all-new studio album, Everything Sucks. ~ Greg Prato