It would be really easy to be horrified by this album's title and cover art -- not to mention song titles like "Anally Impaled" and "Suicide Fuck" -- if it weren't so obvious that this San Francisco-based trio were kidding. Even then? Well, yeah, this stuff is pretty oogy, no question, but when shock is so obviously the intended effect, one eventually wants not to be shocked just out of spite. Recorded on the cheap as the first three demo tapes by the new group (half of the very similar
Autopsy, guitarist Danny Coralles and drummer Chris Reifert, plus new bassist Clint Bower) and released by Relapse as the band's debut album, there's a D.I.Y. ramshackle charm to this largely lo-fi album, and it's certainly refreshing to hear someone use the "death grunt" style of grindcore vocals who knows that he sounds ridiculous, and is. in fact. trying for that effect. But after a few songs, the shock value wears off, and it becomes clear that Coralles and Bower are fairly limited musicians, and that Reifert's maniacal pounding is the only thing musically interesting on the whole album.
Abscess would up the musicianship considerably on their next few releases, but
Urine Junkies is strictly for fans. ~ Stewart Mason