CURRENT 93 / Horsey (1997)

An album that brings together many of the facets that C93 have explored over the years since their conception: the experimental, the acoustic, the abrasive industrial guitar drone, the neo-folk pastoralism, beauty and horror, and Tibet's unique, esoteric poetics that are delivered like some kind of informed, unconscious voice that guides the listener through a chaotic dream state. If you've ever had a dream spiral out of control, you'll understand what I mean.

Note: four of the six tracks on offer were originally released on a triple album (split release with Sol Invictus and NWW) that was limited to just 2000 copies. The two additional tracks are live recordings.

Songs of Note: The Death of the Corn; The Tree

4 breaking sounds out of 5

NURSE WITH WOUND / The Sylvie and Babs Hi-Fi Companion (1985)

Neither Sylvie, Babs nor Murray Fontana are on the album; nor any of the songs advertised on the front. It's NWW taking the joke contained within and extending it to the packaging. Stapleton has been quoted as saying he wanted to make a record "that was stolen from other people's records," so he did. He does the same thing with stolen clips that he usually does with his own; i.e. create a collage of sound that's neither music nor non-music, but something in-between.
Many of the sounds are culled from easy listening records from the 50s and 60s, interspersed with snippets of dialogue and various man-made sounds.
NWW albums always ride a fine line between irritating and art; Sylvie and Babs veers into the irritating more than usual, in my opinion.

Songs of Note: You Walrus Hurt the One You Love; Great Balls of Fur

1½ warning shots out of 5

ANNIHILATOR / Alice in Hell (1989)

Amid the usual odes to death and wickedness that make up many thrash albums, Annihilator's début included songs about the crippling nature of childhood fears, self-destructive adult obsessions, clinical insanity and a song inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. It's fast, technical thrash with breaks and riffs that should please fans of the genre. There are a couple of filler tracks that stop it achieving a perfect score but even they entertain after a few quality beers. And how could you not love a band with a gruff vocalist named Randy Rampage?

Songs of Note: Crystal Ann; Alison Hell

4 salads out of 5

JELLYFISH / Spilt Milk (1993)

The sound on Jellyfish's second album is a lot fuller than on their previous release. The band filled the spaces in their songs with so much dreamy, melodic Pop that it threatens to turn your ears to candy. It's one of the reasons I prefer the début album. I liked the spaces. There's almost too much going on here. The regular shift from Pop assault to saccharine lullabies is a jarring experience on first listen, but after a while it becomes easier to pick out the good bits, which is about 90% of it. If the Beach Boys joined a circus band, they might sound something like Spilt Milk.

Songs of Note: The Ghost at Number One; All is Forgiven

4 hand shandies out of 5