They were (relatively) among the more violent of the early "pre-punk" bands. They formed in the early 1970s in Cleveland, Ohio and broke apart just as punk was gradually being accepted as a general style of music. Famous at the time largely for their tendency to start fights with their audience and a garage rock style that was generally considered obnoxious, they later became very influential with the harder-edged East Coast punk groups in the US, particularly The Dead Boys.
One of their most famous tracks was Agitated, whose lyrics seem to sum up the uniqueness of the band and its legacy, overall.
See also: Punk rock