Breakout
History
Originally named Intensified Chaos formed in the early 1980s in the West Country of England, part of the raw, working‑class wave of UK82 punk. Their early sound was fast, abrasive, and politically charged — very much in line with contemporaries like Chaos UK, Disorder, and The Partisans.
Original line‑up being Ed on vocals, Mike on drums, Nick on bass and Rat on guitar. This line‑up recorded the earliest demos and defined the band’s initial identity.
Like many punk bands of the era, Intensified Chaos went through several personnel shifts – Colin (Ed’s brother) stepped in on vocals for a period. Alun Walters joined on drums — at one point giving the band two drummers. Around 1985, Nick and Rat departed and were replaced by: Glyn Walters on bass and Dave Johnson on guitar. Eventually, the band returned to a more classic formation of Ed on vocals, Rat on guitar, Mike on drums and Matt on bass.
By the mid‑1980s, the band shifted from Intensified Chaos to Breakout. This is the name under which their only contemporary vinyl appearance was released.
For decades, Intensified Chaos/Breakout existed mostly through tapes, word‑of‑mouth, and that one compilation track. Their material has since been remastered and reissued, giving them long‑overdue recognition as one of the rawest, most authentic voices of the UK82 underground. You can still catch them live from time to time, and if you’re into the era, it’s absolutely worth splashing out on the album — it’s a slice of punk history that nearly slipped through the cracks.
Discography
Official Productions
1982 – Shearn Studio session 1
1982 – Shearn studio session 2
1983 – SAM studio session 1
1984 – SAM studio session 2
1985 – SAM studio session 3
2019 – Breakout Aka Intensified Chaos – Vomitopunkrock Records / Beat Generation – REF042LP / BEAT70 – Spain – Vinyl
Track Lists
Shearn Studios – 1982 Session 1
Racial Hatred
Drug Addict
Police Brutality
Shearn Studios – 1982 Session 1
1982
Skins & Punx
Police Brutality
Don’t Wanna Die
Tell Us The Truth
SAM Studios – 1983
Maniac
Unite & Fight
No Rights
SAM Studios – 1984
Waste Away
Terror On The Streets
Drug Abuse
SAM Studios – 1985
Break‑Out
Freedom
Rebel of War
Breakout Aka Intensified Chaos
The Working It Years – LP1
A1 Maniac
A2 Unite & Fight
A3 No Rights
A4 Waste Away
A5 Terror On The Streets
A6 Drug Abuse
A7 Breakout
The Making It Work Years – LP2
B1 Freedom
B2 Rebels Of War
B3 Drug Addict
B4 1982
B5 Skins & Punks
B6 Police Brutality
B7 Don’t Wanna Die
This was released as a vinyl LP compilation from remastered originals.