Known more for his notorious stage antics than for his music, Allin recorded prolifically, not only in the punk rock genre, but also in spoken word, country, and more traditional-style rock. His lyrics, which often expressed themes of violence and misanthropy, polarized listeners and created varied opinions of him within the highly politicized punk community.
Allin's music was often poorly recorded and produced, given limited distribution, and met with mostly negative reviews from critics, although he maintained a cult following throughout and after his career. Allin promised for several years that he would commit suicide on stage during one of his concerts, but he instead died from an accidental drug overdose on June 28, 1993, at age 36.