In their original lineup, The Germs was a tragically short-lived punk band from L.A., forming in 1976 and disbanding in 1980. They released only one full-length album, GI, in 1979, but that album is still highly regarded and praised within the punk scene. The Germs burned out bright and fast, leaving an undeniable mark on hardcore punk. But did GI herald the beginning of hardcore, or the end of first wave punk?

The jury is occasionally still out on that one. Some critics consider GI to be one of the very first full-length hardcore punk albums. Another marked it as the death of punk’s first wave, the end of the Ramones-style ethos. A retrospective review from NC State’s college radio station posited that The Germs signaled the end of first wave punk with an uncontrolled crescendo of debauc

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