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In 1998, director Penelope Spheeris made The Decline of Western Civilization Part III. But unlike the first installment, which centered on legendary punk acts like Black Flag and the Germs, Part III was a much more stark look at contemporary hardcore. Fittingly, one of the featured groups was Naked Aggression. Formed in 1990, the coed outfit made its mark with classic albums like Bitter Youth and March March Along that fell perfectly between the politically charged blasts of the Avengers and Conflict. The grim tone of the music was made tragically real with the asthma-related death of guitarist Phil Suchomel seven years ago. After the passing of her husband, lead singer Kirsten Patches broke up the band; now she’s carrying on with a new lineup, which will appear at the Bluebird with Denver’s own Self Service, Frontside Five and Clusterfux. With a recent retrospective CD called Heard It All Before and plans for a new full-length, Naked Aggression is showing that outrage can still be channeled into energy, integrity and hope — regardless of how watered down and washed up punk rock can seem.
