Customer Reviews

I See Good Spirits I See Bad Spirits

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I had to put in my two cents about "..Good Spirits..." because I found it so funny that somebody actually posted a review claiming that Thomas Thorn made TKK what it was/is. That would make for a sensational back story if it were true...just picture it, "The Satanic Real Deal Leaves Thrill Kill for Greater Pastures--Band Suffers In Aftermath"...but the truth of the matter is, Thomas Thorn had very little, if anything, to do with either this album or its follow-up, "Confessions of a Knife".

Saying that Buck Ryder/Thomas Thorn made the band anything is like saying that the gas you put in your car makes the horn sound a lot better. The creative core of Thrill Kill Kult has always been Groovie Mann & Buzz McCoy. The musicians and characters that they recruit as part of their mythos are mainly for show and for live purposes. I think Buck Ryder was around to play keyboards and trigger samples on one or two tours, and maybe to pose for some promotional photographs in order to pad out the lineup of the band. But that's as far is it goes.

Thomas Thorn used his stint as Buck Ryder to launch his own band, the Electric Hellfire Club, and they have hardly enjoyed the longevity that Thrill Kill Kult has sustained.

The reason for this is evident in Thrill Kill Kult's music, even this debut collection: They understand that it's all a joke and a put-on. They walk the ambiguous line between making their songs campy (check out "Easy Girl") or ominous ("And This Is What the Devil Does"). While this particular collection leans more toward the ominous, if you take a close look at what they're doing, they have used the simple elements of sampling, chord progressions, and abstract lyrics to make light of what people like Thomas Thorn and bands like The Electric Hellfire don't seem to understand: saying that you are in league with Satan, especially in the context of rock music, is just as silly as thumping a Bible and telling other people they're going to burn in Hell.

What make Thrill Kill Kult more than just a gag is that they have used this theme to reflect some very real emotions in their musical fantasies. The whole Satanism/cult theme is used here to allude to very real feelings of alienation ("Devil Does"), betrayal ("These Remains"), and angst ("On This Rack"). Whether it was intended or not, you can even find elements of philosophy in "Gateway to Hell", which uses the lyrical refrain of "You're not real, we have to think so" to suggest psychological theories of absolute reality and moral direction.

Anybody who sees this as "Satanic rock" is missing the whole point. Instead, Thrill Kill Kult seem interested simply in the fascination that many people have with the occult, as well as the ability that this topic has to get people riled up over nothing. The distance they create between themselves and their material suggests that they see the whole image as fantasy, and their abilty to create aggressive and engaging soundscapes is the main focus of the band in the first place. "...Good Spirits" is an admirable debut that they managed to improve upon with each successive release.

There's alot of groups and albums out there that are pretty dark, but to me none of them are as evil as "I See Good Spirits and I See Bad Spirits". Maybe it's because I was in my teens when I first heard this, or maybe because I was "under the influence" at the time, but it shocked and scared me. Musically it's good and catchy techno/industrial music, but the lyrics are all sex, drugs, and Satan. Alot of samples that talk of Kults and the devil, and songs that involve chanting demonic voices make you feel like you're actually listening to something being sacrificed on some tracks. I own six "TKK" albums, and this is probably my favorite, though "Confessions Of A Knife" and "Sexplosion" are classic too. Also this is now remastered with bonus tracks. Life without it would be hell.

I find one question haunting me everytime I listen to this album: "what good spirits?" I sure don't see them. All's I see are the bad ones. It's quite possible the bad spirits have the good ones locked in the basement. Or maybe they... ate them? No telling, but one thing's for sure: this album is evil, pure and simple.

It's like a black celebration commemorating a grand, satanic conquest. Think of a dark, blood-stained dancefloor clogged with ghouls and wicked things, all pulsing and gyrating while a house band pumps vilified electro-industrial-goth-funk through monstrous, brain-hemmoraging speakers. Well, Thrill Kill Kult is that house band.

"I See Good Spirits and I See Bad Spirits" was released in December 1988 on the legendary Chicago-based industrial label 'Wax Trax!' This is TKK's debut album, and as such it's less polished than their later releases. It may even sound dated to those who haven't grown up with it. But if that turns you off, then you're missing out on some great music.

The easiest category in which to pigeonhole TKK is "industrial." There are some heavy industrial overtones, true, but TKK shares just as much in common with goth, house, glam, metal, and even funk. Add to that their own original and idiosyncratic style and you find TKK in a league all their own.

The album is ripe (or rotten) with diabolical imagery. "There are a lot of people who practice independent satanic rituals" is the first sample you hear, followed by "there are just some, uh, eccentric housewives trying to imagine the devil under every bed." "The tempter, the bad Mary" and "lovers and killers of Christ" sings TKK crooner Groovie Mann on the album's second track, "X-Communication." "This man says I have needed to mend my unholy life" he wails on "... And This Is What The Devil Does." Yep, he has some 'splaining to do when he arrives at those Pearly Gates.

My favorite track on this album, and one of my favorite all-time TKK cuts, is "Do You Fear (For Your Child)." There are so many cool things going on in the music. Buzz McCoy pulls out all the stops: from his ominous bass guitar to the numerous samples -- "oh, uh-uh-uh-oh," "straight outta hell," "you're not God" -- this is a tight song. I love the lyrics, especially the first verse. Groovie's vocals, sleazy and ultra-cool, are right on, and the Bomb Gang Girls provide soulful backup.

The music on this album is varied and frenetic, and not quite like anything you've probably heard before, unless you have the other early TKK albums. "Heresy" and especially "Universal Blackness" are so dismal, foreign, and ominous it's almost frightening. Don't worry, the songs can't hurt you. Nevertheless, try not to listen to "Universal Blackness" with the lights off for any extended period of time if you value your sanity. Just a tip.

I don't know if it came across, but My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult is one of my favorite bands. If you're unsure about this band or this album, please take my review with a healthy dose of levity. And please make sure your conscience can handle all the unholiness that TKK will throw at you on this album. ...

My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, I See Good
Spirits... and I See Bad Spirits (Wax Trax!, 1988)

availability: fifteen bucks from Amazon (TVT would be
nuts to let it go OOP)

samples: amazon (clips of the first five songs)

TKK's debut disc, the soundtrack for a film that never
got made (the members of the band met in film school),
is one of the first and one of the best releases from
the Chicago arm of the scene that has now come to be
known as "industrial dance." Combining the more
aggressive pop style Ministry showed on their Twitch
release with heavy metal chord progressions and a
decidedly darker lyrical bent than much of what was
coming from the scene in 1988, Good Spirits/Bad
Spirits blazed the trail that the rest of the Chicago
bands followed a few years later, when Ministry and
its various hangers-on became popular. Far from being
the usual industrial-dance beatfest, this disc wanders
from turnkey dancefloor work ("Do You Fear for Your
Child?") to anthem rock ("These Remains") to
almost-stock-metal ("Gateway to Hell") and back again
during the slightly-under-an-hour it runs. Instead of
being inconsistent, the whole comes off sounding much
more interesting than your average album in the genre.
On first listen, you're never sure what's coming next,
and after the unpredictability wears off, the songs
themselves are catchy enough for repeated listening.
Just don't try to decipher the lyrics. They're awful.
*** 1/2

This was the album that made me loose the first bit of my soul. It was wonderful. I also attribute this album to god turning his back on
me, you see I hame an "unnatural" love for this album. I have an older version on CD, and the production value is less than perfect but it still exudes a nice punk rock menace as all good industrial should.
The cleverness of the lyrics and the ability to turn a phrase keep the songs fresh while there is usualy(?) base heavy big beat groove. I've seen them several times live and am always pleased when they play these older tunes, as they translate well to a live show. The music's rawness go's well with whiskey or perhaps vandalism or even sex. Use frequently.

First of all this is the very best TKK album of all time. Though KOOLER THAN JESUS comes REALLY close this is longer and more diverse than that one. Some may say CONFESSIONS OF A KNIFE is the best of their albums. True it may be a bit more accessable(?) , which was true to me.Sorry I got off track but AND THIS IS WHAT THE DEVIL DOES is a true and utter masterpiece. Just an addition: the BEST example of sampling ever. Right behind it is BEASTIE BOYS's "PAULS BEAUTIQE"(if you don't have this one i suggest you buy it).

While this wasn't the first TKK album I heard (those being 13 Above the Night and Crime for All Seasons), but it was the first I stole (from a local used music and book store) and it was well worth the chance of prosecution.(I do not condone such behavior however. hmmph)
My version is a cassete of the original, not remastered or with extra trax, but I love it just so much. Its just precious. Buzz and Groovie show their skill with synths, drum mechination and guitar while adding some of the best samples I've heard on an album.
While your at it check out Cooler Than Jesus and Confessions of A Knife.
My fav song on the album is maybe "Easy Girl" just for the bassline.

I had to review this because I was so shocked to see that it has an overall 4/5 rating. I guess if you're not into this, it's probably because you were never in the WaxTrax culture way back when. I don't know anyone from that scene who would ever give this less than 5/5. You'd have to be out of your f***ing mind. This is an absolute classic.

this is a really powerful debut album to get the ball rolling for one of my all-time favorite bands (definitely when it comes to this genre, whatever that genre be).

This album is one of the weirdest and most cleverly constructed works of art you can subject your ear to. I can never tell whether it's hilarious or horrifying or a spectrum of both--anyway, it's well worth owning. esp. with the new coverart and bonus tracks (which, i must admit, pale in comparison to the main tracks!).

I think in many respects that this is their best album, and that Thorn guy still lives at home with his mom. This is more tongue in cheek evil rather than the sillier later albums because it's more on the dark side. Key tracks are: Heresy, X Communication Do You Fear for Your Child & Universal Blackness. A shining moment in the goth music scene.