“I never met anyone who was his own person as much as Al was”: SSD guitarist and hardcore pioneer Al Barile dies aged 63

Boston hardcore legend Al Barile, best known as the guitarist for SSD (Society System Decontrol), has passed away aged 63.

In a heartfelt tribute posted to the band’s Instagram, his wife Nancy praised his individualism and the legacy he has left behind.

“I never met anyone who was his own person as much as Al was,” Nancy’s post reads. “No one made me laugh more. There was always a story. We loved each other unbelievably, and my heart is crushed into a million pieces. I am so incredibly grateful for our 43 years together. I can’t even think of how to go on without him, but I know he will ALWAYS be with me.”

Blazing a trail from their 1981 formation, SSD quickly became one of New England's loudest and most important hardcore bands. Their live shows were punctuated by joyous anarchy as the band, drawing from influences like Black Flag and Minor Threat, set about breaking the barrier between artist and audience.

As with many of their peers, the band ventured into metal-inspired avenues in their later works, with their fourth and final release, Break It Up, releasing in 1985. Barile would later go on to form Gage, but as his wife reflects, his impact as one of Boston's most prolific straight-edge hardcore players leaves the biggest mark.

Four days ago, Nancy shared a picture of Barile wearing a hospital gown on Instagram, praising health and emergency services for their care. He was diagnosed with a blood infection. He was at the beginning stage of sepsis, a condition that sees the body's infection-fighting processes turn on itself.

A day later, he successfully underwent surgery, but failed to properly recover, with the guitarist revealing just a day later: “I almost died today. My heart stopped. My prognosis isn’t good.”

Barile admitted it may be his last post, and said he loved his wife.

He passed after a “hard, hard battle”, with his wife and former SSD bandmates, bass player Jaime Sciarappa and drummer Chris Foley, all present.

“I want you all to know how much Al appreciated your outpouring of love to him,” Nancy’s tribute continues. “It truly meant a great deal to him. You know I will have a lot to say about Al’s time on this earth and his impact and his legacy, as the days go on, but for now, I’m going to need some time to be with my closest friends and family.

“I like this picture,” she said of the shot of Barile in action she chose to post, “because if you look in the back, you can see me with a giant smile on my face, falling in love.”

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When SSD formed, Foley was the only member who knew how to play an instrument, but they never let that hold them back. Barile's parents lent the group money to record their debut album, The Kids Will Have Their Say, and soon after they signed with Dischord. That saw them become the first non-DC band to put music out on the infamous punk label.

Speaking to Guitar World in 2023, Barile said that he cut himself off from listening to his peers' music, fearing it would encroach on the band's signature sound.

“I’d be like, ‘Fuck, I think I’m playing Black Flag,'” he said. “I stopped being a fan of music because I felt like that was affecting my individuality and my style.”

Barile had battled with colorectal cancer in recent years and was facing surgery when GW caught up with him two years ago. During the conversation, he reflected on the life he'd lived, and those change-making antics in the early-mid '80s – including when he sold his guitar gear to buy a jet ski – were at the heart of it.

“It was just a great period of discovery, really,” he had said. “Learning about so many things, and just making mistakes along the way. The creative process of writing all these songs… that feeling alone is what you woke up for every day for. I don’t regret one second of it.”