The noise rock combo known as Man Is the Bastard was a project put together by Eric Wood and Joel Connell after they had left hardcore outfit Pissed Happy Children. Dubbing the band power violence, the sound was a brutal mix of complicated technical riffing and straight-up hardcore. Members were interested in the burgeoning electronic noise scene, something that affected their music greatly. The group lasted until 1997, when they mutually decided that if they continued they would no longer make quality music. The members still work together on projects, including Wood's Bastard Noise projects.