Naked Truth

This Atlanta, Georgia-based quartet originated in the local hardcore scene in 1988, although the individual band members arrived from far afield: vocalist Doug Watts came from Detroit, bass player Jeff from Harlem, New York, and drummer Bernard Dawson from Los Angeles, while Jimmie Westley was the only Georgia native, from Savannah. Life was initially tough for a black metal band in Georgia, but the dreadlocked group attracted the interest of former Clash manager Bernie Rhodes, and he helped the band sign to Sony and relocate to London. Green With Rage introduced Naked Truth’s raw, aggressive sound, which was given an individual slant by jazz and funk influences, but the homesick Jeff departed, and was replaced by London-born Kwame Boaten for the Read Between The Lines EP. The band was fortunate to secure a UK tour with Little Angels after a Motörhead support slot was lost owing to a tour cancellation, and despite the obviously different styles, Naked Truth were well received. The band built up a varied following, boosted by a series of London residencies, before Fight appeared. The album demonstrated the band’s ability to mix styles as diverse as jazz and death metal seamlessly and convincingly, while Watts supplied varied vocals, from rap to all-out hardcore rage, and intelligent lyrics. The band was impressive when they supported Living Colour around the UK, but they decided on a name change to Watts before releasing their second full album.