Crucifix was founded in 1980 by Cambodian-born frontman Sothira Pheng, whose family had fled the country when the brutal Khmer Rouge
seized power. The band's self-titled EP debuted on Universal Records of Berkeley in 1981 and was followed by the "Nineteen Eighty-four" single
on the band's own Freak Records in 1982. The band's debut full-length "Dehumanization" on Corpus Christi Records (an offshoot of Crass
Records) showcased their extremely fast and overdriven sound and is widely considered to be their definitive work and a cornerstone of political
punk. "Dehumanization" is now considered a classic within the hardcore punk genre.
