Plays the Devil's Music

The Australian noise punk group led by Stu Spasm was the Southern Hemisphere's answer to the Midwestern scum-rock groups Scratch Acid, Cows, and Halo of Flies. They exemplify the Amphetamine Reptile sound of grating noise guitar and a sludgy lurching rhythm section -- sounding like the offspring of Foetus and the Birthday Party. In their earliest incarnation, the inspirations of Captain Beefheart, Suicide, and Pere Ubu are clearly apparent. This 1987 recording set the tone for the notorious frontman Stu Spasm's antics with vocals and analog synthesizer. He later became an underground rock legend in New York, where he formed Crunt with Babes in Toyland's guitarist, Kat Bjelland. The debut is not the best place to start with this abrasive noise rock band -- the later album Psychedelicatessen comes with a higher recommendation. ~ Skip Jansen