Antisect were an English metal/thrash band, with a background in punk and strong involvement with the anarcho-punk movement. The tag 'crust is also often applied to them, but they never called themselves this and the genre did not exist during their time. They also constantly stated that they were not limited to either the category of punk, although that was a strong part of their background, or of anarcho-punk, although they were very involved with the bands and people involved in the scene that was called that by many, and they tended to state that they were a metal band with a message of freedom and peace. They were active mainly in the first half of the 1980s. They are notable for bringing together elements of punk and heavy metal and being central in the crossover of those genres in the UK, with influences beyond their own country and 'scene', and this is why they are in hindsight seen as a seminal influence in what is known as the 'crust' movement, along with bands such as the Amebix.