We’re saddened to report the passing of Al Barile, the guitarist and driving force behind Boston hardcore legends SSD. As first shared by Pitchfork, Barile’s wife, Nancy Barile, confirmed that he passed away on Sunday. He was 63. In 2022, Barile had publicly shared his battle with rectal cancer.
Barile—full name Alan Scott Barile—founded SSD (originally SS Decontrol) in 1981 while juggling work as a machinist at General Electric and studying at Northeastern. Inspired by the raw urgency of Minor Threat, SSD carved out a sonic and ideological blueprint that helped define straight-edge hardcore. Their early records, blistering live shows, and confrontational energy became the stuff of Boston punk legend.
Barile wasn’t just a player—he was a scene builder. He launched X-Claim Records, the DIY label that dropped SSD’s now-iconic 1982 debut The Kids Will Have Their Say, co-released with Ian MacKaye’s Dischord Records. SSD’s 1983 follow-up EP Get It Away is equally revered, both records considered cornerstones of the genre. X-Claim also gave early platforms to Boston hardcore heavyweights like the FU’s, DYS, and Jerry’s Kids.
Backed by the notoriously rowdy Boston Crew, SSD gigs were chaos incarnate—Springa’s wild vocals, Barile’s furious guitar work, and a full-on physical presence that would help define what hardcore looked and felt like. The band evolved toward a heavier, more metal-inflected sound on later releases (How We Rock, Break It Up) before disbanding in 1985.
Barile’s legacy lives on not just in records and riffs, but in the culture and community he helped ignite. Boston hardcore wouldn’t be what it is without him. Rest in power, Al.