Anal Cunt New material, Putnam's death, and permanent dissolution (2010-2011) When was the new material released? In April 2010, Putnam announced that the new album was almost completed. What was the name of the album? The "cock rock songs" would be released on an album called Fuckin' A in a style similar to that of Motley Crue's debut Too Fast for Love, Did the album have any singles? The songs "Fuck Yeah" and "Cranking My Band's Demo on a Box at the Beach" were released on Myspace Music. Did any of those songs chart on the billboards? I don't know. When did Putnam die? On June 11, 2011,
How did Putnam die?
How did Putnam who announced that the new album was almost completed die?
In April 2010, Putnam announced that the new album was almost completed. The album was delayed due to Josh Martin being in jail (for a third time). The lead guitar tracks were recorded when he was released. On May 11, 2010, Putnam announced that the band decided to split the new recording into two albums. The "cock rock songs" would be released on an album called Fuckin' A in a style similar to that of Motley Crue's debut Too Fast for Love, and the noisegrind songs would be released on an album called Wearing Out Our Welcome, which would also feature backing vocals from members of The Raunchous Brothers, Vaginal Jesus, and Mudoven. On June 22, 2010, Putnam completed Fuckin' A. The songs "Fuck Yeah" and "Cranking My Band's Demo on a Box at the Beach" were released on Myspace Music. On June 24, 2010, Seth Putnam announced on the Anal Cunt Myspace blog that guitarist Josh Martin "is out of A.C.". Putnam continued by stating that the band would play and record as a two-piece outfit. Fuckin' A was released on January 11, 2011. At the same time, it was announced that Josh Martin was once again back in Anal Cunt, after only two shows performed as a two-piece. In April 2011 Anal Cunt embarked on what would be their final tour. The last show was on April 30, 2011, in Cleveland.  On June 11, 2011, the band's frontman and founder Seth Putnam died of a suspected heart attack, seemingly ending the band.  A compilation CD of obscure Anal Cunt releases was announced in 2009 and was planned to be released by Wicked Sick Records (Seth Putnam's label). In October 2011 it was announced to be a two-CD set entitled The Old Testament. It is a re-release of The Early Years 1988-1991 with a new cover, liner notes penned by Putnam, the band's first demo (which was never before heard by anyone outside Anal Cunt or two girls that visited Putnam's house and were in the room when the recording was made), and tracks from Anal Cunt's final rehearsal session in 1991. It was released in November 2011 by Relapse Records. CANNOTANSWER
suspected heart attack,
Anal Cunt, also known as AxCx and A.C., was an American grindcore band that formed in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1988. From its inception, the band underwent a number of line-up changes and never had a bass player. Known for its grindcore musical style and controversial lyrics, Anal Cunt released eight full-length studio albums in addition to a number of compilations and extended plays. Anal Cunt disbanded in 2011 after the group's founder and frontman, Seth Putnam, died of a suspected heart attack.

The band is often referred to by their initials A.C. (often written as AxCx) due to the offensive nature of their name and censorship limits on some radio and publications, and many of their album covers simply display the initials A.C. However, the band managed to subvert even this abbreviation by drawing these letters in a manner resembling an anus and a vulva.

The group's early material contained no pre-written lyrics or music. Rather, the band developed an entirely improvised style which consisted of extremely loud, fast, and aggressive noise. Over time, the band gradually shifted their style and slowly began to incorporate more riffs and pre-written lyrics into their songs. It was not until then that Anal Cunt had earned the reputation for intentionally being outrageous and offensive. 2010 and 2011 saw the release of their final two albums; one of which is a "cock rock" album entitled Fuckin' A, and another being an album of material similar to their old grindcore albums called Wearing Out Our Welcome.

Biography

Formation (1988)
Anal Cunt was formed on March 1, 1988, in the city of Newton, Massachusetts, near Boston, by Seth Putnam, who had previously been a member of bands such as Executioner and Satan's Warriors. The name Anal Cunt came from Seth Putnam's attempt "to get the most offensive, stupid, dumb, etc. name possible". A common misconception is that the band is named after the song "Anal Cunt" by GG Allin, but in fact Allin's song was written years after the band had started. The band did, however, later in their career render tribute to him by recording a version of "I'll Slice Your Fucking Throat (If You Fuck with Me)", originally recorded by Allin and the Murder Junkies.

In Q magazine's 2005 book The Greatest Rock & Pop Miscellany Ever!, Anal Cunt was included in a list of "25 Band Names That Should Have Stayed on the Drawing Board". Putnam originally formed the band as a joke, and they were supposed to only record one demo and do one show; however, they were active up to 2011, despite several brief break-ups.

Originally, the band was to produce a form of 'anti-music', without rhythm, beats, riffs, lyrics, song titles or any other of the normal features of a band, an approach exemplified by the 5643 Song EP.

Early performances and recordings and brief breakup (1988–1992)
The band's first performance was a rehearsal in 1988 at Putnam's mother's house in front of some family members, namely his mother, his two little brothers and his grandmother, as well as some of his mother's friends. Several other small performances followed, in various basements and living rooms, before their first public show live over the radio at Brandeis University, with Anal Cunt being the latest in the long line of Putnam's bands who had performed in this way. This was scheduled to be the band's first and last show. Putnam invited future member Fred Ordonez, from the band Shit Scum, to the show, but he failed to turn up. As a result, it was arranged for the two bands (Anal Cunt and Shit Scum) to play a concert together so Ordonez could see Putnam's band, and a further show was arranged at Shit Scum's rented practice warehouse. The first demo was recorded on a four-track in April in his mother's attic but this has never been mixed, released, or heard by anyone outside of the band members themselves.

After a few more shows, the band decided to attempt a U.S. tour, in August 1988, a few days before which they recorded their 47 Song Demo, which was later re-released on a compilation of the bands' material from the early years. They recorded their 88 Song EP later that year and after its release, a number of record labels started showing interest in the band, including Earache Records, with whom they would later sign a contract.

A few releases later, Earache Records again made an offer to the band, this time to license the 5643 Song EP for a European pressing (and later to buy the whole pressing), but Anal Cunt continued to turn down such offers. This was also the point where the band decided they had done as much as they could and decided to split up, after releasing Another EP and completing their first European tour. This tour was in April, and recordings from this tour are numerous, appearing on the compilations Fast Boston HC The Early Years and the bootlegs Harmonized Noise and the Anal Cunt/Patareni split.

Following appearances in a few other bands, including (recently reformed) George H. Brown (a blues rock act whose song "Foreplay with a Tree Shredder" would later be recorded by Anal Cunt for the album Top 40 Hits), From Sloth to Anger, and Post Mortem, Seth Putnam and Tim Morse decided to reform Anal Cunt on March 1, 1991, exactly three years after they had initially formed.

After the band's reformation, they decided they wanted to change their style to avoid getting bored again. The guitarist for the new, slightly more musical, Anal Cunt was originally supposed to be future member Paul Kraynak but ended up being Fred Ordonez, an ex-boxer. Some more EPs followed, including the world's first acoustic noisecore record, the Unplugged EP, before Putnam finally decided to introduce some elements of "real songs" into the band's material. Seth Putnam and Tim Morse tried out this idea in a six-song session in 1992, just before Putnam successfully auditioned for the reformed thrashcore band Siege, but it was a while before the plans were fully realized.

Later that year, Anal Cunt decided on another European tour. Despite the fact that Tim Morse pulled out at the last minute, the tour still went ahead, with the band deciding to find a drummer while they were touring. The two drummers who auditioned were not fast enough for the band, so Anal Cunt decided to have them both playing the same drum kit at the same time for the beginning of the tour, before resorting to just using the faster of the two. Most of the shows consisted of Putnam and Ordonez going into the crowd, punching people and destroying equipment, not only because of drunkenness but to conceal the fact that the drummer did not know their songs very well. This was also the tour that saw Putnam joining Fear of God on-stage as their drummer for one show and Putnam and Ordonez recording with Seven Minutes of Nausea.

On returning to the U.S., Anal Cunt decided to get a second guitarist who could carry on playing with the drummer during the violence and shouting. The choice was John Kozik, and with him came a new era of the band.

The Earache years (1993–2000)

Although Anal Cunt had released a lot of material, their records were mostly out of print and hard to find, so they got in contact with Earache Records, which had previously shown an interest in the band. Anal Cunt wanted a label that would not only keep their records in stock but also pay for their tours, as the band at the time was operating essentially at a loss. Earache replied to Anal Cunt, asking to hear some new material. The band thereupon went into a studio in September to record what would later be released on Relapse Records as Morbid Florist. Fred Ordonez briefly quit, but was invited to rejoin after unsuccessful searches for a replacement and Earache Records decided to sign them.

Anal Cunt started recording their first album on the label, Everyone Should Be Killed, in March 1993. Soon afterwards, Ordonez was kicked out of the band for good and was replaced by Paul Kraynak. Recording was put on hold for a short West Coast tour in mid-1993, after which Kraynak too quit the band. This was also the tour when Putnam got arrested for hitting a woman in the face with a microphone in San Francisco during a show that, along with another show from earlier that year in Massachusetts, is documented on the EP Breaking the Law.

After some searching for a replacement for Kraynak, Anal Cunt decided to just stick with one guitarist, John Kozik. Following the release of Everyone Should Be Killed in 1994, the band did more tours, one in Europe and one immediately afterwards in the United States. The European tour encompassed Germany, Belgium, Spain and Austria, and Anal Cunt were supported by W.B.I. and the Necrophiliacs; on the American tour, they were joined by Incantation, Morpheus Descends, Afterlife and Gutted.

The transition from noise-style to fast-hardcore-style songs began in the fall of that year with the recording of their next album Top 40 Hits, which featured the single "Stayin' Alive (Oi! Version)".

Anal Cunt toured America again, and in June toured Japan for the first time. After this, Kozik was replaced by Scott Hull, of Pig Destroyer and Agoraphobic Nosebleed fame. With this line-up (or variations on it), the album 40 More Reasons to Hate Us was recorded. This album marked another change in the band's direction, with lyrics – and insults – being included in their songs for the first time.

Another two-week long tour with Eyehategod followed, but Hull refused to tour and was temporarily replaced by a returning Kozik. After this tour, the band was again close to breaking up (for the second time), but instead decided to shuffle the line-up once more. The problem seemed to be with Tim Morse, so he was kicked out of the band. Seth Putnam was now the only surviving original member of Anal Cunt.

The band was briefly on hiatus while Putnam put together a new line-up. The only thing they recorded during this time was the song "You're Gonna Need Someone On Your Side", for the Smiths tribute album The World Still Won't Listen, and the song "Two Turds and a Golf Ball" for the compilation CD of the same name, with Hull on guitar and Putnam performing drums and vocals. During this period, Putnam also did backing vocals for Pantera's The Great Southern Trendkill in New Orleans, and lead vocals for an Eyehategod show.

In January 1996, Putnam hired a new guitarist, Josh Martin. Martin was a student at New York University in 1994–1995, when Anal Cunt used to play in New York a lot, and they had become good friends. Indeed, this was a friendship that would continue, as Putnam and Martin would join forces later in Adolf Satan and acoustic black-metal band Impaled Northern Moonforest. Martin moved to Boston following his graduation, and was appointed by Putnam as the new Anal Cunt guitarist. After trying out a lot of drummers, they hired Nate Linehan.

Yet another tour followed, this time with Incantation and Mortician. Anal Cunt then released their next full-length release, I Like It When You Die, which they had recorded prior to the tour. This album was essentially a collection of insults and featured the songs "You're Gay" and "Technology's Gay", as well as a guest appearance from Kyle Severn from Incantation. A lot of the songs refer to things being "gay", as this was a common slang word in Massachusetts and in junior-high schools across the United States at the time.

Following the tour, Linehan left the band and again activities were put on hold. Even so, Putnam and Martin recorded a few songs for a Black Sabbath tribute, In These Black Days Volume 1, which was a split with Eyehategod and featured Putnam on drums. A few months later, Putnam and Martin asked Linehan to rejoin the band and he agreed.

Another two tours later (the first in America with Murder One, the second in Japan), Anal Cunt recorded what would be their last album on Earache Records, It Just Gets Worse, which was released at the end of their 1999 European tour with Flächenbrand. The album was surrounded by much controversy: the label changed some of the song titles and also censored the lyrics to two of the songs.

In May 2000, Anal Cunt were dropped from Earache Records due to distributor problems.

Second breakup, reformation, and 20th anniversary (2000–2009)
Despite being dropped by their label (although Earache did later make them an offer to come back, which they turned down) and Linehan leaving again in September 1999, Anal Cunt continued on, now with John Gillis on drums. Some more touring and a few releases followed, such as the Defenders of the Hate EP and a split 7-inch with Flachenbrand (who had opened for AC on their 1999 German tour). There was also a Defenders of the Hate tour in 2001, featuring two legs: one to California and back in June, and one to Texas and back in September. The band released a limited tour edition of the record as part of the tour. Anal Cunt issued an official press release at the end of December 2001 saying that they had broken up again. This time, the band seemed to have permanently disbanded, with only a few compilation tracks and the Very Rare Rehearsal from February 1989 CD being released.

During a show in 2000 in Providence, Rhode Island, Dropdead opened for Anal Cunt, but when Anal Cunt took the stage, Putnam began insulting Bob Otis from Dropdead, and eventually the audience, throwing out racial slurs and performing Nazi salutes; Otis eventually got on stage and knocked Putnam off the stage, and a fight broke out.

Anal Cunt reformed in August 2003 with the lineup of Putnam, Martin and Linehan. However, after one practice, Martin was forced to leave the band, due to him going to jail. Putnam brought John Kozik back to replace him. After a few gigs in late 2003 (including one opening for Superjoint Ritual) and a short Japan tour in January 2004 with Napalm Death, Nasum, and Pig Destroyer, Linehan left the band yet again. He was again replaced by John Gillis.

In October 2004, Putnam went into a coma for nearly a month as a result of a drug overdose. Initially reported as a sleeping pill overdose for legal reasons, he later claimed it was a combination of alcohol, crack, heroin, and a bottle of sleeping pills. Doctors thought that even if he survived, he would suffer permanent serious brain damage and were intending to "pull the plug", before Putnam's mother intervened. Even after coming out of the coma, Putnam was now paralyzed and had sustained severe nerve damage, needing months of physical therapy to recover. For the first show that Anal Cunt played following this coma (with Eyehategod), Putnam had to remain seated in a chair throughout. Putnam said he would continue to play songs such as "You're in a Coma" and had promised that the band would release new material.

After a festival appearance in Norway in 2006, at which Putnam completely passed out on stage and was unconscious for the entire gig, both Kozik and Gillis quit the band. Martin (now out of jail) soon returned to the band and got Linehan to return as well. Anal Cunt released the Defenders of the Hate full-length CD in 2007, which featured bonus out-of-print tracks, such as those from the 13 Bands Who Think You're Gay and Thrash of the Titans compilations, as well as the tracks from the split with Flächenbrand. Other releases that had been promised included a sequel to Picnic of Love (Picnic of Love II) and an Anal Cunt/Gay Bar split, featuring unreleased Anal Cunt material from the Putnam/Martin/Linehan era on one side and a recording of Seth Putnam in a gay bar on the other. These albums were never recorded. The Defenders of the Hate re-release sparked another tour in March 2007 which included an appearance at the Los Angeles Murderfest Version 3.0 on March 24, 2007. with Accused, Brutal Truth, Pig Destroyer, and others, and a UK festival appearance later that year.

2008 was the 20th anniversary of the band, so Putnam celebrated it with several original lineup reunion shows with Tim Morse and Mike Mahan. By this point Linehan had yet again left the band, and Martin was again in jail. They played shows in Boston, Texas, and the West Coast. On November 17, 2008, the original Anal Cunt line-up (Seth Putnam, Mike Mahan, and Tim Morse) finished recording their 110 Song CD. The album was made as a celebration of the band's 20-year anniversary. The album's musical style is the same as Anal Cunt's early noisecore style.

After the original lineup reunion was over, Morse decided to stay on as the permanent drummer. Martin also returned. In early 2009 the Old Stuff Part 3 CD was released, featuring all the non-Earache tracks recorded by the Putnam, Martin and Linehan lineup in the 1990s. This sparked another round of touring. In 2009 AC played all over the US, plus a short tour of Norway in October. Also in 2009, Anal Cunt recorded their next two albums.

New material, Putnam's death, and permanent dissolution (2010–2011)
In April 2010, Putnam announced that the new album was almost completed. The album was delayed due to Josh Martin being in jail (for a third time). The lead guitar tracks were recorded when he was released. On May 11, 2010, Putnam announced that the band decided to split the new recording into two albums. The "cock rock songs" would be released on an album called Fuckin' A in a style similar to that of Mötley Crüe's debut Too Fast for Love, and the noisegrind songs would be released on an album called Wearing Out Our Welcome, which would also feature backing vocals from members of the Raunchous Brothers, Vaginal Jesus, and Mudoven. On June 22, 2010, Putnam completed Fuckin' A. The songs "Fuck Yeah" and "Cranking My Band's Demo on a Box at the Beach" were released on Myspace Music. On June 24, 2010, Seth Putnam announced on the Anal Cunt Myspace blog that guitarist Josh Martin "is out of A.C.". Putnam continued by stating that the band would play and record as a two-piece outfit. Fuckin' A was released on January 11, 2011. At the same time, it was announced that Josh Martin was once again back in Anal Cunt, after only two shows performed as a two-piece. In April 2011 Anal Cunt embarked on what would be their final tour. The last show was on April 30, 2011, in Cleveland.

On June 11, 2011, the band's frontman and founder Seth Putnam died of a suspected heart attack, seemingly ending the band.

A compilation CD of obscure Anal Cunt releases was announced in 2009 and was planned to be released by Wicked Sick Records (Seth Putnam's label). In October 2011 it was announced to be a two-CD set entitled The Old Testament. It is a re-release of The Early Years 1988–1991 with a new cover, liner notes penned by Putnam, the band's first demo (which was never before heard by anyone outside Anal Cunt and two girls that visited Putnam's house and were in the room when the recording was made), and tracks from Anal Cunt's final rehearsal session in 1991. It was released in November 2011 by Relapse Records.

Former guitarist Josh Martin died on May 28, 2018, after accidentally falling off an escalator and hitting his head on a table at the Providence Place mall in Rhode Island.

Musical style and controversy
Anal Cunt has been categorized as grindcore, noisecore, noisegrind and hardcore.

Lyrics
Anal Cunt were often cited as having common lyrical themes that include misogyny, homophobia, Nazism, antisemitism, racism, politics, criticism of popular culture, and ridicule of the unfortunate, although this has not always been the case. Many of these songs included insults and/or targets, either general or specific to one person, examples including African Americans, Jewish people, homosexuals, foreigners, victims of HIV/AIDS, rape, suicide and/or child abuse, school students, musicians, actors, and the citizens of Allston.

The album I Like It When You Die developed the idea of containing insults in their songs, with a recurring song title being "X Is Gay", with examples including "You're Gay", "Technology's Gay", "Recycling Is Gay", "The Internet Is Gay", "Windchimes Are Gay" and even "The Word 'Homophobic' Is Gay". Another recurring song title is "You X", with examples including "You Own a Store", "You Live in a Houseboat", "You Are an Orphan", "You Go to Art School", and "You Keep a Diary". The band even parodied this theme with the songs "You (Fill in the Blank)" and "I'm in Anal Cunt".

The 1999 album, It Just Gets Worse, took the idea of intentional offense a step further with more extreme examples of racism and sexism. Examples include "You're Pregnant So I Kicked You in the Stomach", "I Lit Your Baby on Fire" and "Women: Nature's Punching Bag". The lyrics to two of the songs on this album were altered, and one of the songs on this album had its name changed from "Conor Clapton Committed Suicide Because His Father Sucks" to "Your Kid Committed Suicide Because You Suck", because they were working for a record label in Britain, where libel laws are very stringent. Another song on the album called "Easy E Got Aids from F Mercury" contains the lyrics "Now Freddie's dead and he's in heaven; at his wake you ate watermelon".

It was also on It Just Gets Worse that the band began to include references to the Holocaust in their songs, including "I Sent Concentration Camp Footage to America's Funniest Home Videos". This theme of seemingly glorifying Adolf Hitler and his actions continued on their subsequent EPs, with songs such as "Hitler Was a Sensitive Man", "I'm Hitler", "Body by Auschwitz", "I Went Back in Time and Voted for Hitler" and "Ha Ha Holocaust".

Another common lyrical theme in the band's material was that of insulting other bands, or music in general. Such examples include the song titles "Rancid Sucks (and The Clash Sucked Too)", "Limp Bizkit Think They're Black, but They're Just Gay", "Anyone Who Likes the Dillinger Escape Plan Is a Faggot" and "311 Sucks".

Next to this offensive material, some of their other songs were deliberately much more light-hearted, which was done to self-parody. This includes the satirical Picnic of Love album, and also covers of songs completely different from their style including "Can't Touch This", "Stayin' Alive", "Escape", "Electric Avenue", "The Theme From Three's Company", "You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side", "Hungry Hungry Hippos", and "Just the Two of Us", as well as their karaoke rendition of the Steve Miller Band song "Abracadabra" (intended to be a "cover" of "Sabbra Cadabra" by Black Sabbath). On their "Another E.P" 7 inch they covered "Goon" by Goon and Riverbottom Nightmare Band from The Muppets. They also played snippets of "Why Not Try Suicide" by P.T.L Klub and "Breakin' The Law" by Judas Priest.

Criticism
Critic Steve Huey called their album Morbid Florist "barely listenable".

Seth Putnam admitted that they had sent material to publications they knew would hate it just to get bad reviews.

Band members

Final lineup
Seth Putnam – vocals, guitars (1988–2001, 2003–2011; died 2011)
Tim Morse – drums (1988–1996, 2008–2011)
Josh Martin – guitars (1996–2001, 2006–2011; died 2018)

Previous members 
Mike Mahan – guitars (1988–1990, 2008)
Fred Ordonez – guitars (1991–1992, 1992–1993)
John Kozik – guitars (1992–1995, 2003–2006)
Paul Kraynak – guitars  (1993, 1995)
Scott Hull – guitars (1995)
Nate Linehan – drums (1996–1999, 2003–2004, 2006–2007)
John Gillis – drums (1999–2001, 2004–2006)

Timeline

Discography

Everyone Should Be Killed (1994)
Top 40 Hits (1995)
40 More Reasons to Hate Us (1996)
I Like It When You Die (1997)
Picnic of Love (1998)
It Just Gets Worse (1999)
Defenders of the Hate (2001)
110 Song CD (2008)
Fuckin' A (2010)

References

External links
Official page on MySpace

American grindcore musical groups
Noisecore musical groups
Musical groups from Massachusetts
Relapse Records artists
Earache Records artists
American musical trios
Obscenity controversies in music
Musical groups established in 1988
Musical groups disestablished in 1990
Musical groups reestablished in 1991
Musical groups disestablished in 2001
Musical groups reestablished in 2003
Musical groups disestablished in 2011
Musical parodies
Seth Edward Putnam (May 15, 1968 – June 11, 2011) was an American musician who was the founder, vocalist and occasional guitarist of grindcore band Anal Cunt. He was known for his high-pitched screamed vocals and lyrics that either shock, offend, or invoke morbid humor. Throughout his career, Putnam was also involved in numerous side projects.

Biography

Early years 
Putnam was born on May 15, 1968, in Newton, Massachusetts to father Edward R. Putnam and mother Barbara Ann Donohue. He was of quarter English and quarter Irish descent. His parents are divorced. Seth was married to his first wife, Alison Dunn, from December 1998 through June 2001. He married Julie, his second wife, on May 17, 2008. From 1986 to 1988, Putnam played bass in the thrash metal band Executioner. He also owned his own record label called "Wicked Sick Records", and had a subsidiary label called "Stridecore Records" that only had one release which was Anal Cunt's The 5,643 Song EP.

Personality 
Despite his shock humor and turbulent lifestyle, Putnam was often described by fans and peers as a warm, intelligent, and sensitive person. Putnam saw himself as a comedian and used music as an outlet.

In school, classmates who knew Putnam described him as intelligent and stern, but unmotivated, apathetic and often an underwhelming student. Putnam skipped a grade in school and became a very bright student, tutoring his classmates. In his own words, Putnam often blamed brutal fights with Catholic school nuns for helping to shape his cynical personality. When he reached high school, he had lost interest in excelling in education or academics, becoming more of a slacker and underachiever. By the time he had graduated school, Putnam had left the Catholic religion in which he was raised. After graduation, Putnam showed no interest in attending college or university.

Putnam also made up his own religion when he was a child. His all-time favorite bands were Negative Approach and The Village People, his favorite movie was The Bad Bunch.

The 2018 grindcore documentary Slave to the Grind explores Putnam in detail, with his peers expressing the duality of his nature: former bandmates Tim Morse and Scott Hull describe Putnam often being personable and relaxed, but Hull also notes that he'd often get arrested causing trouble on the street. Discordance Axis singer Jon Chang notes that he was really close to Putnam for years, but describes him as a "really disturbed guy" and a "backstabbing piece of shit at the end of his life". Chang also recounted an incident
after a show when Putnam introduced his mother to Chang, he remarked that they had met earlier when he pulled Putnam's mother out from the show's moshpit, causing Putnam to become aggressive and threaten Chang, much to the confusion of everyone present.
Putnam was also good friends with Pantera frontman Philip Anselmo. Anselmo used to get Anal Cunt to open for Pantera whenever they went through Boston. Anal Cunt opened for Pantera three times. There is also footage of Putnam singing "Suicide Note Part II" with Anselmo at a show in 1998.

1993 arrest 
On August 26, 1993, Anal Cunt played a show at Nightbreak in San Francisco, California and started their set with their song "Iron Funeral" and played Blur Including New H.C. Song after, during the second song a woman later identified as Elizabeth Quigley grabbed Putnam's microphone. Putnam turned around and swung the microphone, hitting Quigley in the face. John, Tim, and Paulie eventually stop playing and audience members (including Quigley) start yelling at Putnam and repeatedly tell him to leave the venue and repeatedly say "Call the fucking cops!" along with several insults directed towards Putnam, who was eventually arrested and spent the night in a San Francisco jail, he was bailed out the next morning by Kozik. On October 19 of that year, Putnam received a letter from Michael Spadaccini who was Quigley's attorney informing him that a civil action is being filed against him for assault, when Putnam went to court he was found guilty and fined $1200. A video of this show exists and can be found on YouTube, a cassette recording of this show was released on a live 7" called "Breaking the Law" which was disguised as a bootleg due to the band's contract with Earache Records. The track after the Nightbreak show is the sound of a jail cell door slamming that was recorded by Yaz who is credited as the "party technician" in the 7" while Kozik was bailing Putnam out of jail. Pictures of the letter, Putnam's bail record, and a newspaper clipping of the show on Side B were included in the 7", it also includes liner notes by Robert Williams from Siege.

Drug overdose and coma 
On October 12, 2004, Putnam was hospitalized after ingesting a cocktail of crack cocaine, alcohol, heroin, and two months' worth of Ambien sleeping pills. It has been reported that he spent the previous day contemplating suicide, though exact circumstances surrounding the drug overdose are vague.

Anal Cunt's 1997 album I Like It When You Die contained the track "You're in a Coma". Putnam's reaction to the resulting irony of being in a coma was published in the Boston Phoenix: "Actually, it turned out it was just as gay as the song I wrote nine years ago – being in a coma was just as fuckin' stupid as I wrote it was." Anal Cunt kept performing the song during live shows after the coma, with Putnam sharing anecdotes with the audience before the song.

Prior to his coma in 2004, Putnam overdosed on heroin in 1998. In a 2007 interview, he said: "In 1998 I was dead for 10 minutes from a heroin overdose. The EMT's used that stuff to revive people and it didn't work. They tried it a second time for the hell of it and it worked. All I remember was waking up in my kitchen having no idea where I was.  On the way to the hospital, the EMT told me I was probably going to have brain damage the rest of my life.  By the time I got to the hospital I was completely back to normal though. I didn't see any 'mystic visions' or anything that time either."

Feud with Chris Barnes 
There was friction between Putnam and Six Feet Under vocalist Chris Barnes. According to Putnam's defunct website, Putnam and Josh Martin (Anal Cunt guitarist) went to a Six Feet Under show to hand out fliers looking for a drummer, Putnam eventually heckled Barnes during a Six Feet Under set, leading to an altercation between the three, ending with Six Feet Under's roadies ganging up on Putnam and Martin grabbing Barnes' wrists before Barnes fled to his tour bus and hid there. Putnam released the song "Chris Barnes Is a Pussy" as retaliation to the incident. According to Putnam in an interview with Capital Chaos TV several years later, Six Feet Under went out of their way to avoid playing in the same city as Anal Cunt several years after the incident. Putnam stated "I guess he (Chris Barnes) is still afraid of me". Despite the feud, Putnam eventually became a fan of Six Feet Under and stated that "Murdered in the Basement" was his favorite song by Six Feet Under. Martin also said that Putnam saw Cannibal Corpse live on their Eaten Back To Life tour.

Feud with Hatebreed 
Anal Cunt were playing at the second New England Metal and Hardcore Festival in 2000. The Misfits headlined the big stage, Anal Cunt headlined the second stage and Hatebreed headlined the Commercial Street Cafe. The Hatebreed show was shut down due to issues with the sound system, and they were moved to Anal Cunt's stage, playing before them. The band that played before Anal Cunt had already finished their set and the announcer knowing that all the people who showed up were expecting Anal Cunt to play said that Hatebreed were going to play first. They were eventually booed by Anal Cunt fans. According to Josh Martin, Jamey Jasta got angry and called the crowd a bunch of "washed up metalheads", Putnam also said on his website that Jasta also said that Hatebreed were more popular and sold more records than Anal Cunt, Putnam and Martin were at the bar next door not knowing what was going on. They came back when Hatebreed finished their set and Putnam was yelled at by Jasta, Jasta or one of his friends pushed Putnam and at least 20 people formed a circle and started punching the ground (thinking they are beating up Putnam). Martin who owned a VHS tape of the fight that ended up getting lost said that Putnam was standing 20 feet away watching and eating popcorn (Putnam said that he had his arms folded instead). The promoter screwed the band over and wouldn't pay them, the cops eventually came and Putnam wised off to one of them, he was eventually arrested and the cops opened the door to leave the building with his head. His wife at the time asked the cops why they were arresting Putnam and they arrested her too. They were both eventually bailed out and nothing else happened between those two bands since. Putnam also said on his website that the bouncer at the door would not let him into the club unless he was given a free CD. Putnam denied giving him one and the bouncer said that every other band did it and gave Putnam a mean look in an attempt to scare him. Putnam told the guy in charge of the club what happened and he was eventually let back in. On April 16, 2003. Putnam updated his website saying that a friend of his was on Superjoint Ritual's tour bus with the members of Hatebreed who were bragging about beating Putnam up and how they would do it again if they saw him, Putnam eventually showed up on the bus and neither him or Hatebreed said anything to one another due to Putnam forgetting what they looked like. He eventually got called into the back of the tour bus, Hatebreed still sat in the front and eventually left.

In February 2021, Jamey Jasta interviewed Jimmy Bower from Eyehategod on his podcast "The Jasta Show". Jasta mentioned a story where Putnam requested a mop to make sure the stage was clean because people were skating on it and eventually ended up attacking the audience with it instead. He also said he used to distro Anal Cunt's albums and book their shows. Bower told stories of Putnam using a fire extinguisher on stage and getting foam all over Eyehategod's gear, letting air out of the tires on someone's bike chained to a pole, and spending his entire night calling people long distance from the gas station he used to work at. Bower used to have a voice message from Putnam of him saying "Hi friend, how are you doing friend?".
Jasta would also interview Eyehategod vocalist Mike Williams. Williams, who knew Putnam since 1988, said that Putnam was a normal guy off-stage and very quiet and soft-spoken. Williams also said that he used to call him long distance from the Chevron gas station that he worked at, so that all his calls would be charged to Chevron. Jasta said that Putnam used to call his old landline and trade records with him.

Death 
On June 11, 2011, Putnam died of a suspected heart attack at the age of 43. His grave is located within Newton Cemetery in Newton, Massachusetts.

Side projects and former bands

Angry Hate 
The idea of the band came up when Putnam and Larry Lifeless (Kilslug vocalist) were drunk one night watching Jerry Springer and Larry said "That guy looks like he should be in an old punk band called Angry Hate or something". The first recording was in January 1999 of Larry hammering a fence against some lady's garage which was put on at the end of the song, "M.P." on the first release. That summer, they recorded four songs, all of which were old Sickness songs. "Blinking Blue Lights" was actually recorded by Kilslug, but never released. The other songs originally by the Sickness were never released. They made another EP called Bad Mood that had a certain number of copies pressed but were never officially released. Putnam and Lee Suniga (owner of Menace to Sobriety Records) sold them on eBay. Angry Hate performed two live shows in March and April 2002. In 2004 they recorded a song called "Satan Wins" with Paulie Kraynak on bass but it hasn't been released.

Satan's Warriors 
Satan's Warriors started in February 1986 after Putnam and his friends made up a fake death metal fanzine with fake band names as a joke. Putnam eventually admitted to doing it in April of that year. There was an opening for a band to play live over the radio, so Putnam got a lineup together and made a four-song demo with him on drums and vocals, and his cousin Drew on guitar. Their final show was in July 1988. They were supposed to get back together in 2003 and re-record some songs written between 1986 and 1988. The lineup was supposed to be with Putnam on guitar and vocals, Paulie Kraynak on second guitar, and John Gillis on drums.

Impaled Northern Moonforest 
In early 1997, Putnam and Josh Martin came up with the idea of starting a joke black metal band and decided to record a demo. They didn't use actual drums because someone was sleeping in the room next to them, so Martin played his acoustic guitar while Putnam did vocals and percussion by slapping his leg and a mattress. They did a few shows and sold copies of their first demo. The titles on the demo are different from the ones on the 7" vinyl release due to Putnam and Josh losing their copies of the demo and forgetting the titles.

Shit Scum 
Shit Scum formed in 1988 after Putnam saw an ad looking for musicians. Putnam chose to call after seeing Cryptic Slaughter as the only influence as not many people in Boston were into that band. Putnam eventually invited Fred Ordonez to see Satan's Warriors (which was their last show). Anal Cunt was also playing what was supposed to be their last show but Ordonez and his friends never showed up. Putnam did another show with Anal Cunt so Ordonez could see them, while Shit Scum also did their first show on the same day. Putnam was eventually invited to a studio to play bass on their first demo called "Self Mutilation". They later did a show in January, 1990. Putnam and Ordonez (without Wayne, who was their drummer) went to a studio that college rock bands mainly performed at. The engineer did not like them and tried convincing them to quit. The record was eventually finished and they ended up owing the studio money so the studio kept the master reel.

Anal Cunt did a tour in Germany and performed some Shit Scum covers. Matthias Weigand (head of Ecocentric Records) liked the cover of the song "Shit Scum" and wanted to put out a 7". Putnam called the studio and asked about the reel. The guy on the phone said "it's right here, pick it up whenever you want", not knowing they owed money to the studio. Putnam mixed all the songs and sent them to Ecocentric Records. Ordonez never had a cover for the record so Weigand made one up. The record was eventually called "Manson Is Jesus". Ordonez wanted the record to be called "I Wish this Record Could Punch You in the Face", and have a fist on the cover. Shit Scum had already broken up by the time the album was released.

Full Blown A.I.D.S. 
Full Blown A.I.D.S. started in 1997 while Putnam was jamming with his friend and cousin. In 1998, he wrote some songs and recorded a demo of "No One Cares" with Nate Linehan on drums. In 2002 he moved to Texas for a while but eventually moved back to Boston. In 2003 the band went into the studio and recorded some songs and mixed them in a day. They eventually put out two EPs and a compilation CD in 2008, with both EPs and the song "Throwing Cars at People on Coke with Thor". In 2010 the band released a live album with some bonus tracks called "Viral Load" which would eventually be their last ever release and the only release with Josh Randall on drums.

Death's Head Quartet 
The Death's Head Quartet was a jazz/noise improvisational band that featured Putnam on bass and vocals, Chris Joyce on guitar, Robert Williams on drums, and Jim Hobbs on saxophone. Their first release was called "Live on the Joint" which was a radio broadcast from November 1, 2001. Their second release was recorded on April 9, 2001, and was not released until 2003.

Cuntsaw 
Cuntsaw started in 1989 with Putnam on vocals and guitar and Tim Morse on drums. They usually practiced after Anal Cunt shows. They did one demo called "Concerned" and did one show at Brandeis University with Fred Ordonez on second guitar. They eventually broke up. The Anal Cunt song "Foreplay with a Tree Shredder" was originally a Cuntsaw song that was named "Hell Bent for Hitler".

You're Fired 
You're Fired started in 2002. Within two months they had a nine-song demo recorded which eventually became the Warning EP and was released in 2002. After Putnam died, they made an EP called The End with Paulie Kraynak on guitar. Most of the riffs were written by Putnam and the album was also recorded with Putnam's Gibson SG, Marshall cabinet and the amplifier head borrowed from Paulie Kraynak that was also used on the Warning EP. The End was released in 2012 on vinyl and it also can be purchased on BandCamp along with the Warning EP. The song "Throw It Off" from their last EP was originally an Anal Cunt song with different lyrics.

Pantera 
In 1996, Putnam did guest vocals on Pantera's The Great Southern Trendkill for their songs "The Great Southern Trendkill", "War Nerve", "13 Steps to Nowhere", and "Suicide Note Pt. II".

Adolf Satan 
Adolf Satan started in 2002 after Upsidedown Cross broke up. Putnam played drums for the band for a brief period of time. He eventually quit and Nate Linehan joined. They recorded a demo in 2003 and eventually made a self-titled studio album. They recorded another demo in 2006 before breaking up two years later.

Upsidedown Cross 
Upsidedown Cross started in 1989 after Larry Lifeless' band "Kilslug" had a violent breakup. The first lineup featured Larry (vocals), Cheez (bass), and Scott Vangel (guitar) who went by "Shoehorn" in the band. Taang! Records thought the band were too insane to deal with, and wouldn't sign them unless Rico Pertoleum (ex-Kilslug) was in the band, he was kicked out after the songwriting for the first record was done. J. Mascis from Dinosaur Jr. filled in on drums for the first album. Throughout the 90's they had different lineup changes and had a few more releases. Seth Putnam ended up joining them on guitar and did one show with them which also turned out to be the bands last show before they eventually broke up, Seth ended up moving to Texas. There were plans to get the band back together with Josh Martin on guitar. According to Josh, Cheez wasn't in any state to be playing an instrument, so he ended up starting Adolf Satan instead. When Seth moved back to Boston him and Josh became the two guitarists for the band, Seth ended up quitting the band in March 2003. Seth and Josh never recorded anything with the band despite Seth being credited on their split with Sloth, Cheez decided to put out an old recording and credit the lineup they had at the time. In 2011 Upsidedown Cross became a two-piece with Seth on drums and Larry on vocals and guitar. Some rehearsal footage exists of the band.

Executioner
Post Mortem
Siege

P.O.D.D.A. (Pile of Drunks & Drug Addicts) 
Not much is known about this band but they had only one recording session in 2007 which eventually surfaced onto YouTube, the band had Putnam on vocals, Dejan Podobnik(Patareni, Millions of Dead Cops...) on drums and Chomi on guitar. Mickey Offender from D.R.I., Offenders,  was supposed to lay a bass track but it never happened.

Sirhan Sirhan 
This band started in December 1990 and Putnam and Tim Morse were trying to think of a Christmas gift for Mike Mahan who recently moved to Indiana, they recorded a demo and got a band picture in a $2 photo booth. They sent it to Mike who eventually lost his copy, the demo was released as a split album with Cuntsaw.

Insult 
Insult started in 1992 as a four piece (Derek only did vocals at the time) and decided to record an album in 1997 after releasing a few demo tapes, it was going horribly for them so they got Putnam to come in and produce their album, the album was called "I Wanna Be a Burn Victim", Putnam eventually became their bass player and did a west coast tour with them in 1998 along with a split 7" with Ruido and a live show over the radio which was released on a split with Anal Cunt, both the 7" and the live split were released in 1999. Putnam quit the same year.

Person Killer 
Person Killer was a one-man project Putnam started around 1995, he made a demo and sent it to Earache Records along with a T-shirt, a pin, and a letter that didn't reveal the sender's name. It was planned to be released on a two LP set called "The Worst of Seth Putnam" but it hasn't been released.

Vaginal Jesus 
Speculation circulated as to whether or not Putnam was a member of the white power grindcore/hardcore band Vaginal Jesus, after Putnam stated that he was just a friend of the band. However, he later retracted this claim and admitted to being a member.

The Losers 
Before Putnam started Anal Cunt in March 1988, he had various bands that sounded like Anal Cunt. The earliest one he could remember was The Losers, who started in 1980. The band featured Putnam doing vocals and playing a toy guitar (he could not afford a real one at the time) and his cousin Michael who played cardboard boxes as fast as possible. That band's name was eventually changed to "Noise". Putnam eventually got a real guitar and made more tapes.

George H Brown 
George H Brown was a blues rock band that originally featured Putnam on guitar, Mike Mahan on bass, Fred Ordonez on second guitar, Tim Morse on drums, and John McCarthy on vocals. Putnam eventually got frustrated with the band and broke it up. They got back together years later with Putnam doing guitar and vocals, Paulie Kraynak on bass and Josh Randall (FUKK/Full Blown A.I.D.S live drummer) on drums. A Myspace page was made for the band and there were plans to release a debut CD.

From Sloth to Anger 
Putnam and John Kozik started a band called "Sloth" but changed the name to "From Sloth to Anger" after finding out there was a band called Sloth in New York. The band name was taken from an inner sleeve of a Borbetomagus record. The band went nowhere and only made one tape that nobody has heard. After this, they broke up. Tim Morse had a baby on the way and Mike Mahan moved to Indiana for six months, Putnam and Tim got Anal Cunt back together with Fred Ordonez on guitar.

Raging Death 
In October 2021, Tim Morse did an interview on the Death Metal podcast. He mentioned Putnam having a band with his cousin called "Raging Death". Putnam did the percussion on an old plastic bank of the comic book character "The Thing" while his cousin played guitar. Since the demo was not released officially, the only song title that Morse revealed was "Rabbit Axe".

Unknown band with Mike Williams 
In 2004 Seth and Mike Williams from Eyehategod got the idea of starting a band and writing a record with all anti-cop songs after e-mailing each other about their recent troubles with the police, it is currently unknown if any material was written or recorded.

Ondskap 
In 2002 Seth started Ondskap with a guy from Norway who also helped him run his website, there were plans for them to record music for a three way split CD with two other unknown bands.

Unnamed Al Stewart cover band 
Seth had plans to start an Al Stewart cover band with former members of the bands Slapshot and Stompbox, it is unknown if this band ever happened.

Cannibal Hitler 
Not much info exists on this band, they have one known cassette release on Wicked Sick Records (Putnam's label) called "Don't Worry It's All Grindcore" which came out in 1989.

Screaming Gore Guts 
Screaming Gore Guts was one of Putnam's pre-Anal Cunt noise bands. They started in 1985 and they did a demo called "We Are Fucking God". The lineup was Seth and 2 of his friends named Luke and Ken who also ran a fanzine called "Frightmare". They played one show in Seth's parents' living room, after that show ended the members of the band were chased home by an angry mob. The band never did anything since then but after Putnam's passing in 2011, the demo eventually surfaced on a now-defunct blog and in 2022 it surfaced onto YouTube.

Seven Minutes Of Nausea 
Seven Minutes Of Nausea started in 1985 with Mick Hollows on vocals and Scut on drums and bass. In 1990 the group split up and Mick Hollows moved to Europe and continued the band as a one man band that collaborated with many of his friends. Seth Putnam played drums on their "Disobediant Loser" E.P and Fred Ordonez (credited as "Fred Kase") who used to be in Anal Cunt played guitar on the same E.P along with Matthias Weigand playing bass. Weigand also owns "Ecocentric Records" which is a German D.I.Y label that released material from Putnam's bands such as the "Manson Is Jesus" E.P by Shit Scum, the Psycho/Satan's Warriors split 7", a compilation called "Killed By The Machinery Of Sorrow" which has 2 Shit Scum songs and a Post Mortem song, and the "Fast Boston HC" CD by Anal Cunt. Weigand and Hollows are the remaining members of the band, they're now based in Koblenz, Germany.

Bands he filled in or did a guest appearance for 
Adolf Satan (bass and drums at several live performances)
Bad Mouthed Bandits (guitar studio session)
Bratface (guitar at two live performances)
Eyehategod (vocals at Mardi Gras 1996 show and one other show)
Fear of God (drums at one live performance)
Flächenbrand (drums at one song at one live performance)
Haggis (vocal duet with Wattie Buchan from The Exploited on the song "A Calling to Arms")
Kilslug (guitar at two live performances)
Necrophiliacs (bass at one live performance)
Nightstick (vocals at two live performances)
Boredoms
Brutal Truth
Corrosion of Conformity
Graveyard BBQ
Incantation
Napalm Death
Nasty Disaster
Padded Hell
Psycho (he always sang their song "Group Pressure" with them)
P.T.L. Klub
Scissorfight
Slapshot (additional vocals on some songs on the "Live At SO36" album, also appears in their "Live In Germany 1993" VHS)
The Ruins
Thor (vocals and guitar on the song "Throwing Cars at People on Coke with Thor)
Today Is the Day (did vocals on their song "Butterflies")
W.B.I.
Le Scrawl (Additional vocals on the song "Quest")
Proclamation (vocals on the song "Conform" which is also a Siege cover)
Discordance Axis (additional vocals on "Ruin Trajectory" at their show at CBGB's in August, 1995)

References

External links 
 Impaled Northern Moonforest
 FAQ on wickedsickrecords.com

1968 births
2011 deaths
20th-century American singers
21st-century American singers
American heavy metal singers
American punk rock singers
American heavy metal guitarists
American male guitarists
American male bass guitarists
American multi-instrumentalists
Grindcore musicians
Musicians from Boston
Former Roman Catholics
20th-century American male singers
21st-century American male singers Israel Putnam (January 7, 1718 – May 29, 1790), popularly known as "Old Put", was an American army general officer who fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). He also served notably as an officer with Rogers' Rangers during the French and Indian War (1754–1763), when he was captured by Mohawk warriors. He was saved from the ritual burning given to enemies by the intervention of a French officer with whom the Mohawk were allied.

Putnam's courage and fighting spirit became known far beyond his home of Connecticut's borders through the circulation of folk legends in the American colonies and states celebrating his exploits.

Early life

Israel Putnam was born in 1718 in Salem Village (now Danvers), Massachusetts to Joseph and Elizabeth (Porter) Putnam, a prosperous farming Puritan family. His parents had opposed the Salem witch trials in the 1690s. With his father-in-law Israel Porter, Joseph Putnam signed a petition on the behalf of the elderly Rebecca Nurse, who was accused of witchcraft, but the jury overturned its first verdict of innocent, convicting her and sentencing her to death. One of her sisters was also executed in the hysteria of the time.

In 1740, at the age of 22, the young Putnam moved west to Mortlake (in a part of the town that later became part of Pomfret and Brooklyn in northeastern Connecticut), where land was cheaper and easier for young men to buy. While living in Connecticut, Putnam purchased several enslaved Africans to work on his lands. Putnam killed a wolf in Connecticut in 1743 with the help of a group of farmers from Mortlake seeking to safeguard their sheep. After tracking the wolf to her den, they tried sending in their dogs, but all the dogs returned frightened, or in several cases, injured by the wolf. They tried smoking the wolf out, and after that failed, they tried burning sulfur at the mouth of the rocky cave, all to no avail. After Putnam arrived, he tried getting his dog to enter the den, with no luck. He also tried to get his servant to enter with a torch and gun to shoot the wolf. His servant refused, as did all the other farmers. Putnam then reportedly crawled into the den with a torch, a musket loaded with buckshot, and his feet secured with rope to be quickly pulled out. While in the den, he killed the wolf.

In celebration of the event, the 24-year-old Putnam was carried in a torch-lit procession through Pomfret in a celebration that lasted until about midnight. Putnam earned the nicknames of "Wolf Putnam" and "Old Wolf Put", which stayed with him for decades afterward. A section of Mashamoquet Brook State Park in modern-day Pomfret, including the den, is named "Wolf Den". The name "Wolf Den Road" in adjacent Brooklyn, Connecticut also attests to the days of wolves.

Putnam married twice, first to Hannah Pope in 1739, the mother of his children.  Two years after her death in 1765, he married Deborah Lothrop.

Early military service
In 1755, at the age of 37, Putnam was one of the first men in Connecticut to sign up to serve as a private in the militia in the French and Indian War. During the war, he would be successively promoted to second lieutenant, captain, major, lieutenant colonel, and colonel. As a company captain, Putnam served with Robert Rogers, who would gain fame as the commander of Rogers' Rangers, and the two of them had various exploits together, in one of which Putnam saved Rogers' life. Putnam's reputation for courage was made famous by his participation in the war. It was said that "Rogers always sent, but Putnam led his men to action."

In 1757, the Rangers were stationed on an island off Fort Edward. The following February, Putnam and his Rangers were still on Roger's Island when fire broke out in the row of barracks nearest the magazine. The danger of an explosion was imminent, but Putnam took a position on the roof and poured bucket after bucket of water upon the flames, only descending when the buildings fell only a few feet from the magazine. In spite of his severe wounds, he continued to fight the fire, dashing water upon the magazine until the fire was under control. He was laid up for a month due to burns and exposure.

Putnam was captured on August 8, 1758, by Kahnawake (Mohawk) Native Americans from a mission settlement south of Montreal during a military campaign near Crown Point in New York. He was saved from being ritually burned alive by a rain storm and the last-minute intervention of a French officer.

In 1759, Putnam led a regiment into The Valley of Death in the attack on Fort Carillon; and, in 1760, he was with the British army that marched on Montreal. In 1762, he survived a shipwreck during the British expedition against Cuba that led to the capture of Havana. Major Putnam is believed to have brought back Cuban tobacco seeds to New England, which he planted in the Hartford area. This reportedly resulted in the development of the renowned Connecticut Wrapper. In 1763, during Pontiac's Rebellion, Putnam was sent with reinforcements to relieve Chief Pontiac's siege of Fort Detroit.

After the war, he returned to his homestead, a remnant of which exists today as Putnam Farm in Brooklyn, Connecticut. Putnam publicly professed his Christian faith following the Seven Years' War in 1765, and joined the Congregational Church in his town. He was among those who objected to British taxation policies. Around the time of the Stamp Act crisis in 1766, he was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly and was one of the founders of the state's chapter of the Sons of Liberty. In the fall of 1765, he threatened Thomas Fitch, the popularly elected Governor of Connecticut, over this issue. He said that Fitch's house "will be leveled with the dust in five minutes" if Fitch did not turn over the stamp tax paper to the Sons of Liberty.

American Revolutionary War

Battle of Bunker Hill
By the eve of the American Revolution, Putnam had become a relatively prosperous farmer and tavern keeper, with more than a local reputation for his previous exploits. On April 20, 1775, while plowing one of his fields with his son, he received news of the Battle of Lexington and Concord that started the war the day before. He literally "came off the plow", leaving it in the field and riding  in eight hours, reaching Cambridge the next day and offering his services to the Patriot cause. Putnam was named a major general, making him second in rank to General Artemas Ward in the Army of Observation, which preceded the founding of the Continental Army.

Putnam was one of the primary figures at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775, both in its planning and on the battlefield. During the battle, Putnam may have ordered William Prescott to tell his troops, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes." It is debated exactly who said these words first; they are attributed to a number of officers. This command has since become one of the American Revolution's notable quotations. It was given to make the best use of the low ammunition stocks that the troops had.

In the planning for the Battle of Bunker Hill, Putnam was likely the one who argued in favor of also fortifying the adjacent hill, which later became known as "Breed's Hill". This hill was closer to Boston, and from the hill cannons could fire on the British forces in Boston, forcing them to come out and attack the hill. The British soldiers were mowed down as they marched toward the American fortifications. However, the Americans ran out of powder and were eventually forced to retreat. American casualties were 449, while British casualties were 1,054. By the standard of the day the Americans lost, since they gave up the ground. However, Continental Army Brigadier General Nathanael Greene wrote to his brother that "I wish we could sell them another hill, at the same price."

Years after the battle, and after Putnam's death, he was accused by Henry Dearborn of failing to supply reinforcements and even of cowardice during the battle. The accusations created a long-standing controversy among veterans, family, friends, and historians. People were shocked by the rancor of the attack, and this prompted a forceful response from defenders of Putnam, including such notables as John and Abigail Adams. Historian Harold Murdock wrote that Dearborn's account "abounds in absurd misstatements and amazing flights of imagination." The Dearborn attack received considerable attention because at the time he was in the middle of considerable controversy himself. He had been relieved of one of the top commands in the War of 1812 due to his mistakes. He had also been nominated to serve as U.S. Secretary of War by President James Monroe, but was rejected by the United States Senate (which was the first time that the Senate had voted against confirming a presidential cabinet choice).

Long Island and later service

On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress voted to create the Continental Army. George Washington was chosen as Commander-in-Chief, with Putnam and three others appointed as major generals under Washington. Of the votes, only Washington and Putnam were unanimous.

After Bunker Hill, Washington arrived and Putnam served under him in the Siege of Boston. Due largely to the ingenious efforts of Henry Knox and Putnam's cousin Rufus Putnam, the British were forced to abandon Boston.

Putnam subsequently served as temporary commander of the American forces in New York while waiting for Washington's arrival there on April 13, 1776. Putnam's fortunes declined at the Battle of Long Island in August 1776, where he was forced to effect a hasty retreat from the British. Some in the Second Continental Congress blamed Putnam for the defeat, but Washington, who was in overall command and witnessed the battle, did not.

It is possible that Putnam's efforts saved Washington's life or prevented his capture. As Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan described it, "...it could be argued that we owe our national existence to the fortifications which General Israel Putnam threw up in April 1776 on the Buttermilk Channel side [of Governors Island, New York]... [British troops] landed on Long Island and headed for George Washington and his army. He had to flee, and he made it because Putnam's artillery firing on Brooklyn Heights, over the Buttermilk Channel, held Howe back just long enough for Washington to escape to Manhattan and for the Revolutionary War to proceed."

With future Vice President Aaron Burr in his charge, Putnam was fooled in October 1777 by a feint executed by British troops under the command of General Sir Henry Clinton, making way for Clinton's capture of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton. As was standard procedure, Putnam was relieved of command and brought before a court of inquiry for these losses. It was ascertained that the events in question were the result of a lack of men, not of the fault of any commander, and he was exonerated of any wrongdoing.

Putnam had personal friendships and deep respect for many of his British former comrades in arms in the French and Indian War, who were now his enemies. While in command in New York, there were several occasions on which he showed personal courtesies, such as providing newspapers to read or medical attention, to British officers who had become his prisoners of war. This offended many New Yorkers. He also showed an "unconquerable aversion" to many of those who were entrusted with the disposal of Tory property who Putnam felt were instead embezzling the funds. This also led to Putnam becoming unpopular with many influential New Yorkers, who complained to Washington.

Washington had also lost some of his faith in Putnam, due to an incident in which Putnam delayed in forwarding troops to Washington when first ordered to do so. One possible explanation was that his wife, mistaken for dead, had apparently been buried alive, expiring in the casket after burial. The grave was later exhumed, and it is possible that Putnam learned of the tragic error at the time he received Washington's order. Regardless, Washington felt he could not have Putnam in charge of troops in New York without the support of that state, and transferred Putnam to recruiting duties in Connecticut after the court of inquiry finished its investigation of the loss of Forts Montgomery and Clinton. Putnam was later put in command of the Eastern Division, consisting of three brigades of New Hampshire and Connecticut troops. In 1779, he was put in command of the right wing of the army, which included the Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania divisions.

During the winter of 1778–1779, Putnam and his troops were encamped at the site now preserved as the Putnam Memorial State Park in Redding, Connecticut. On February 26, 1779, Putnam escaped from the British, riding down a steep slope in Greenwich, Connecticut for which he became famous. A statue commemorating this escape was erected at Putnam Memorial State Park. In December 1779, Putnam suffered a paralyzing stroke, which ended his military service.

Personality and characteristics
Israel Putnam did not fit the stereotype of the taciturn New Englander.  He was a gregarious tavern-keeper, a very industrious farmer, and an aggressive soldier, always looking for an excuse to discipline his soldiers. His farm was one of the most productive in the area (he was able to buy out his partner and pay off his mortgage after only two years). In battle, he would lead from the front, not from behind. And after hours, he would lead his comrades in singing the popular drinking songs of the day.

Putnam served as Washington's second in command, and the two shared some key characteristics that other general officers of the time did not.  Neither one of them had as much education as elite people of the era had.  Putnam's lack of education and unsophisticated manner prompted a captured Hessian officer to comment that "This old gray-beard may be a good honest man, but nobody but the rebels would have made him a general."  Some of America's proper Philadelphians agreed.  The common soldier admired Putnam's courage though, and could see from his many visible battle scars that he knew what it was like to be on the front lines.  They knew that he had achieved his position through first-hand experience, rather than just education or family connections.  Historian Nathaniel Philbrick says flatly that "Israel Putnam was the provincial army's most beloved officer."

Putnam, whose spelling was a language all its own, nevertheless had a way with words.  Both Washington and Putnam had to use their words to put down mutinies (on separate occasions) by their long-suffering, disgruntled troops.  Biographer David Humphreys, who witnessed the Putnam event, wrote about it as follows:

"The troops who had been badly fed, badly cloathed and worse paid ... formed the design of marching to Hartford, where the General Assembly was then in session, and of demanding redress at the point of the bayonet.  Word having been brought to General Putnam that the second Brigade was under arms for this purpose, he mounted his horse, galloped to the Cantonment and thus addressed them:

"'My brave lads, whither are you going?  Do you intend to desert your Officers and to invite the enemy to follow you into the country?  Whose cause have you been fighting and suffering so long in, is it not your own?  Have you no property, no parents, wives or children?  You have behaved like men so far – all the world is full of your praises – and posterity will stand astonished at your deeds: but not if you spoil all at last.  Don't you consider how much the country is distressed by the war, and that your officers have not been any better paid than yourselves?  But we all expect better times and that the Country will do us ample justice.  Let us all stand by one another then and fight it out like brave Soldiers.  Think what a shame it would be for Connecticut men to run away from their officers.'"

Putnam's speech worked.  After he finished, "he directed the acting Major of Brigade to give the word for them to shoulder, march to their Regimental parades, and lodge arms.  All of which they executed with promptitude and apparent good humor."

After hearing of the mutiny, Washington wrote to Putnam commending him for his success in quelling it.  Putnam wrote to Washington that the incident had "not been repeated, or attended with any farther ill consequences.".

Both Washington and Putnam were aggressive by nature, and did not hesitate to put themselves in harm's way if that was what was called for in battle.  Both were either fearless, or at least able to function calmly while bullets whizzed around them.  Yet, each was nevertheless able to calculate risk and make decisions accordingly.  After leading inexperienced men in a successful engagement while being bombarded with cannonballs, Putnam commented, "I wish we could have something of the kind to do every day; it would teach our men how little danger there is from cannon balls, for though they have sent a great many at us, nobody has been hurt by them."

Putnam has been criticized by historians as having not been a great strategic thinker, and during one of the planning sessions during the siege of Boston with Washington and his senior officers, Putnam grew tired of the endless discussion, and went to the window and started observing the British.  Washington invited him back to the planning table, and Putnam responded, "Oh, my dear General, you may plan the battle to suit yourself, and I will fight it."

Putnam though, was not without the ability to foresee both effective battlefield strategy and the big picture.  He ordered his men to aim for the British officers, knowing the crippling effect it would have.  He knew the value of inoculating the American troops against small pox, and the tendency of nervous soldiers to fire too soon and aim too high (possibly thus the orders to not fire until "you see the whites of their eyes" and to "Take aim at the waistbands."). 
 
Putnam had a feel for the common soldier and how to make good use of him.  He knew that a soldier was not worried about his head, but if you protected his body with earthworks, he would "fight forever."  Putnam also understood that a retreat could be a very effective tactic.  "Let me pick my officers, and I would not fear to meet [the enemy] with half the number...  I would fight them on the retreat, and every stone wall we passed should be lined with their dead ... our men are lighter of foot, they understand their grounds and how to take advantage of them…"

For one who was not supposed to be much of a strategic thinker, in some cases he was more prescient than his fellow generals.  In discussion with Joseph Warren and General Artemas Ward before the Battle of Bunker Hill, Putnam advocated aggressive action against the British.  Ward replied that "As peace and reconciliation is what we seek for, would it not be better to act only on the defensive and give no unnecessary provocation?"  Putnam turned to Warren and said with emphasis, "You know, Dr. Warren, we shall have no peace worth anything, till we gain it by the sword."

Shortly after Washington took command at Cambridge in 1775, he and the other generals hoped for a speedy resolution of the war.  On one occasion with them gathered around his dinner table, Washington offered a toast: "A speedy and honorable peace."  A few days later, Putnam offered a different one: "A long and moderate war."  The sober and seldom-smiling Washington laughed out loud.  Washington addressed Putnam, "You are the last man, General Putnam, from whom I should have expected such a toast, you who are always urging vigorous measures, to plead now for a long, and what is still more extraordinary, a moderate, war, seems strange indeed."  Putnam replied that a false peace would divide Americans and not be long-lasting.  Putnam went on, "I expect nothing but a long war, and I would have it a moderate one, that we may hold out till the mother country becomes willing to cast us off forever."

The Revolutionary War would drag on for eight and a half years, the longest in United States history until the Vietnam War. Washington did not soon forget Putnam's prescient toast. For years after, and more than once, he reminded Putnam of it.

Burial

Putnam died in Brooklyn, Connecticut in 1790. He was buried in an above-ground tomb in the town's South Cemetery. He is honored with an equestrian monument near his original burial site on Canterbury Road (Route 169).

Over the years, souvenir hunters removed fragments of the headstone of his tomb and eventually the marble marker became badly mutilated and the overall condition of the tomb was deemed unsuitable for General Putnam's remains; it was removed for safekeeping to the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford. Sculptor Karl Gerhardt, who designed the nearby Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument as well as Civil War monuments in New York and New Jersey, was chosen to create a monument to house Putnam's remains. In 1888, Putnam's remains were removed from the Brooklyn cemetery and reinterred in a sarcophagus in the base, and the original headstone inscription was recreated on the monument.

Legacy, namesakes, and honors

Putnam's birthplace in Danvers, Massachusetts, now known as the Putnam House, has been designated and preserved as a historic structure. His Connecticut farmhouse on Putnam Farm still stands today and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A statue of Israel Putnam stands in Hartford's Bushnell Park, near the Connecticut State Capitol. It was sculpted by John Quincy Adams Ward in 1873 and presented to the city in 1874.

Numerous places bear his name, including nine counties, starting with Putnam County, New York, which embraces the east bank of the Hudson Highlands where he once held command. Towns in New York and Connecticut are also named for him. His many namesakes include:
 Putnam County, Georgia
 Putnam County, Illinois
 Putnam County, Indiana
 Putnam County, Missouri
 Putnam County, New York
 Putnam County, Ohio
 Putnam County, Tennessee
 Putnam County, West Virginia
 Putnam, Connecticut
 Putnam, New York
 Israel Putnam Refectory, a dining hall at the University of Connecticut
 East Putnam Avenue in Greenwich, Connecticut, named for his path of retreat from the British
Putnam's cottage, an 18th-century residence that may have served as a tavern at the time of his escape, located on East Putnam Avenue in Greenwich
 Putnam Farm, the remnant of Putnam's original 500-acre holding in Brooklyn, Connecticut
 Putnam Memorial State Park, the oldest state park in Connecticut where there is an Equestrian statue of Israel Putnam by Anna Hyatt Huntington which dedicated in 1969
 Putnam Avenue, in Port Chester, New York, a continuation of the avenue of the same name in Greenwich, CT.
 Putnam Drive, in Port Chester, New York
 Putnam Avenue in Hamden, Connecticut
 Putnam Avenue in Brooklyn, New York
 Putnam Street in Scranton, Pennsylvania
 Putnam Street in Olean, New York
 Putnam Pond and Putnam Creek in Ticonderoga and Crown Point, NY
 Putnam Place in the Bronx, New York, which stands among other local neighborhood streets named for figures from the Revolutionary War and War of 1812
 Israel Putnam Brown Ale, a beer brewed by Black Pond Brews of Danielson, Connecticut
 Putnam Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusetts
 Putnam Engine & Hose Co., No. 2, a Company of the Port Chester, New York Fire Department organized in 1854  
 Putnam Russet Apple. Putnam had a very successful farm in Brooklyn, Connecticut, which was known for its apples and sheep. The farmhouse at Putnam Farm still stands, and the Putnam Russet is still grown by farmers of heirloom apple varieties.
 Putnam Pond, a body of water (and adjacent campground) near Ticonderoga, New York, known locally as "Putt's Pond"
 Several ships including the USS General Putnam

Putnam has been featured in numerous biographies and works of fiction, including an 1876 biography by Increase N. Tarbox, a historian, theologian, and author, and as the name of the first motel visited by the characters in the 1992 motion picture My Cousin Vinny. He also appeared in Assassin's Creed III in a minor role.

His descendant John Day Putnam became a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

References

Bibliography

, 394 pages
, 394 pages

 
 
 

, pages covering account

Further reading
  (a biography by Frederick Albion Ober)
 "'Violent' war mural may not go back to school", Greenwich Time, 5 June 2006
 "Heroic America – James Daugherty's Mural Drawings from the 1930s"

External links

 Israel Putnam Website
 
 The Massachusetts Historical Society
 Putnam Cottage Historic House Museum
  Danvers Historical Society webpage - owner of the General Israel Putnam House

1718 births
1790 deaths
American slave owners
People of colonial Connecticut
Continental Army generals
American people of English descent
Continental Army officers from Connecticut
People from Danvers, Massachusetts
United States Army Rangers
British military personnel of the French and Indian War
People of Connecticut in the American Revolution
British America army officers
Burials in Connecticut
Redding, Connecticut
Military personnel from Connecticut
Israel
People from Brooklyn, Connecticut
Military personnel from Massachusetts