Customer Reviews

Death Church

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bizarre, weird, freaky, artsy, macabre, snotty punk rock.

Depending on my mood, this is my favorite Rudimentary Peni album. (It alternates with "Cacophony" and "The EPs of ...") For those just getting into Rudimentary Peni, however, it's arguably the best place to start. Deathy, bizarre, manic, political... it's all here. In fact, the appeal of this LP is that it straddles several different genres -- it's simultaneously avant garde art; the death rock crowd claim it in their canon of horror rock; and the Crass/political/crusty punks also cite it as one of the seminal 80's Britpunk albums. It deserves all this recognition, and more.

The lyrics to "Rotten to the Core" are as incisive as ever: "WHy is it that rock stars always seem to lie so much? / Joe Strummer once said he cared, but he never really gave a f--- / Said he'd use the money he made to set up a radio station to make the airwaves full of something other than sh-- / Have you noticed we're still waiting?" Ouch. (Hey, I like The Clash, by the way, but they've got a point!)

Nick Blinko's vocal are unlike those of any other punk band's. His book, _The Primal Screamer_ is a good companion piece to this album, as it tells the tale of the goings-on around the time this LP was recorded. For those not in the know, Mr. Blinko suffers from severe mental illness (paranoid schizophrenia, I think?) -- his spastic yammering for Rudimentary Peni seems evidence enough of this, until one sees the album artwork he designed for "Death Church," which eliminates any remaining doubts. While Peni aren't as fast as, say, Minor Threat, there is an element of sheer dementia here that no other hardcore or punk band could touch. "When You Are a Martian Church" is one of the better songs on the album, for example, and makes no apparent sense. "Vampire State Building" and "Cosmic Hearse" temper the more political moments with claustrophobic dementia, as well. Highly recommended.

if you like Rudimentary or Crass, then you'll love this album. They're not as experimental as Crass, but I think they're just as incredible. The twisted black-and-white artwork is another reason to get this album.

In the eighties, the London scene saw an uprising of talented and insightful punk bands who followed an anarchaic song style and point of view. Bands like Crass, Conflict, Flux of Pink Indians and Icons of Filth helped define this new form of punk called anarcho. Rudimentary Peni's Death Church is one of the most accomplished and well done album in this genre. Darker than most other bands they had followed, RP wrote disturbing songs about death, war, famine, and chaos. Death Church is a chaotic mix of 21 excellent songs that follow a early Crass meets late Conflict style of punk rock.

The songs are extremely short and flow into each other very easily. With haunting basslines and vocalist Nick Blinko's disturbed, nihilistic and apocalyptic vocals make this into the most frightening album of the genre. With songs ranging from quick angry blasts of nihilistic punk rock to well composed masterpieces, this album influenced both Goth and punk band alike.

RP is definately a visionary band. With a image and attitude completely different and obscure compared to other bands, they help invent their own brand of gothic anracho punk. Definately a record for punk fans of all types and a real eye opener into how this planet really works. Buy It!

Rudimentary Peni are and have always been a cult band of sorts. You either get it or you don't. If you're a moronic meat head who prefers slick soloing, tough guy posturing, no lyrical or artistic merit, or something you can just lift weights to while trying to seduce the dumb republican blonde who looks down her nose at you(and every other human being for that matter) then this CD is not for you. Stick to Nickelback or Black Hater Society like all the other insecure posers. Rudimentary Peni play music for the truly ousted and disturbed individuals of society. Death Church, in my opinion, isn't their absolutely best work(that would probably be Cacophony or The EPs of RP) but it is an offering that possibly any lover of punk, post-punk, hardcore punk, and alternative metal can enjoy. The music and lyrics paint an atmosphere of chaos, desperate humor, suffering, and worldwide plight that can appeal to any disenfranchised person of the modern day. Along with fellow englanders, the Subhumans, Killing Joke, Crass, Rudimentary Peni describe a sad apocalyptic world with their own unique creative vision. Slower and snottier than their previous two EPs but more accessible than the two albums that followed, Death Church is a perfect portrait of the disease and puss the apathetic, dumb, greedy, and air-headed infected the world with in the eighties and a pessimistic mourning of the decades and stupidity that came beforehand. From the agonized 1/4 dead to the snide commentary of Dutchmen this band spews all that they are about. Poltical foil, worldwide disaster, macabre surrealist insanity, and brain-rotting despair have never been so well represented all in one since this disc. Like the Melvins who came about a little later and Black Flag of the same time, this band also mixes punk and early Black Sabbath very well. If you have a fondness for the alternative and the bizarre, please pass forth the currency to purchase this item. It is a choice I'm sure you will not regret.

Loved by Punks and Deathrockers, this album is a must have for anyone that appreciates a unique, (if raw), vocal style, and driving guitars...sharp, brilliant, psychotic lyrics!

Whether you like Punk (REAL Punk, not Blink182, et al!) or Deathrock, this album is for you!

I gave it five stars for it's sheer wierdness and unique aproach to a genre that is often conformist, and repetative in sound as well as subject matter. While the music is undeniably punk, it's slow and brooding rather than the typical fast/loud. If it's fast you want I wouldn't recommend Death Church. Instead look into Rudimentary Peni's other albums, as well as Crucifix, Antischism, Cro-Mags, Subhumans, or Discharge. But back to Death Church. The music on this one (in my opinion) is easier to compare to doom metal, more so than punk, and it could be called a great cd just for that. It's nice to hear a punk band explore the slower and darker side of anger driven music. And the music on this disk is DARK, and VERY angry. But the music, in and of itself, isn't what makes Death Church great. It's the way that it gets you to bend your definition of crazy and sane that makes it special. This album has been called scary, creepy, cold, dark, etc. etc. If it were left up to the music to set the scary vibe by itself this record wouldn't be that scary at all. Just dark. But the artwork, the lyrics, and the fact that Blinko is mentally ill makes it terrifying. The artwork in the cd booklet alone, is worth your every cent. It's grim, and very unsettling. And the fact that it's what Nick Blinko see's in his head all the time makes it that much more creepy. The guy is totally out of his mind. As far as I understand, he was locked away in the nut house at one time. That being said, what's really scary about Death Church, is that Blinko (who I'm pretty sure wrote all the lyrics) is seriously sick in the head, but still completely aware of everything around him, and that's what makes people uneasy. It makes them uneasy because he's nuts... but he rants against institutions of the "sane," and with each argument he makes... you see that he's right. It makes one question whether the "normal" people are really the ones with something wrong upstairs. This album really lets you step into the shoes of a very mentally deranged person, and the experience you walk away with is very eerie, and hard to forget. It makes you question your sanity, which is something harder to question than anything else you hold dear. Now... having said that the guy is right, doesn't always mean I think the same way. When he rants against the treatment of animals on tracks like Pig in a Blanket and Flesh Crucifix, he makes a valid point. But that aint gonna' stop me from having a nice thick, juicy steak. And "love is not your parents lies" like he says in Love is Not, but I still love my parents. And fundamentalist religion, in this day and age does suck, like he says in Blasphemy Squad. But in days very long ago, religion offered the only comfort in a world that was often too hostile and scary to make any sence of. Look, just do yourself a favour and pick Death Church up, and If you like it, look into Antisect's "In Darkness There is No Choice."

Death Church is a great album, definitely one of the best purchases I've made in awhile. While I wouldn't claim to be punk myself, nor an anarchist or a vegan, as these guys were, I can definitely appreciate the fury with which Nick Blinko delivers his messages. This is pure rock, snotty, snarling and heavy. As with most punk albums, the tracks are pretty quick and center around the vocals and a fierce sounding guitar, but what stands out for me are Blinko's morbid, death obsessed lyrics and the little unexpected oddball moments ("...when you are a martian church, awwwwwww...") where Blinko's personality shine through. The themes are rather socio-political, but the music rocks too much to really care. Plus, as always, I dig the horrific imagery and dirge-like qualities of the songs... it's pretty apparent why the band were considered both 'crust' and 'deathrock.' It's highly enertaining noise and everyone should give it a try.

i used to have this on vinyl and the two ep`s as well...i have been listening to these guys for 24 years now...and i must say this album got a hell of a lot of play time,the second ep got played alot too but not as much.if you want to have a look at the sleeve of death church..the singer drew all of it by hand...some work there

This is the one to get, its their best. I like all of their records, but i recommend this one above the rest, every song is memorable.

EVERYTHING U NEED TO HEAR. IT'S RUDIMENTARY AT THIER FINEST.ITS HARD TO HAVE A FAVORITE WHEN JUST ABOUT EVERY SONG RULES!!!