From out of nowhere -- or, more accurately, out of
Grave drummer
Don Bolles' massive collection of outtakes and live tapes -- Debasement Tapes saw the light in 1993, presenting the band in all their scuzzily creepy glory. While the fidelity varies like crazy, even the murkier cuts often contain something special, and as a portrait of the band at their most experimental and most hilarious (often at the same time!), it can't be beat. Bolles' detailed and often screamingly funny liner notes provide all the information you could possibly want. A chunk of the tunes come from a 1983 date in Escondido, CA, including versions of songs from precursor band the Consumers and a rip through the notorious "Fucked by the Devil," easily the most intentionally laughable goth/punk song ever outside of
Alien Sex Fiend. Other tracks, like "Bobby" and "R2D2 Is the Buddha," are home and garage recordings as out-there as it gets, consisting of rough noise collages using everything from bedpans filled with broken glass to random TV nonsense, all of which wouldn't sound too out of place on
Negativland radio broadcasts.
Dinah Cancer gets in more than a few bloodcurdling screams and wails here and there, while
Paul B. Cutler is no slouch when it comes to nutty lyrics and over-the-top performances ("Gangsta Rap" is bile at its best); Rob Graves and Bolles keep everything moving pretty well on the rhythm front. Combined with random audience give-and-take and more than a few moments of the band completely losing it on stage, the end result is sheer entertainment. Definitely not the place to start for newcomers to the Grave's dark realm, but anyone taken by the band's official studio work will find lots to love here. ~ Ned Raggett