As progenitors of deathrock, 45 Grave and singer Dinah Cancer slither through this 1983 debut with all the tattered grace and subdued snarls of a punk rock processional. Cheeky winks manifest as horror punk (“Insurance from God”), and the great “Partytime” (heard on the Return of the Living Dead soundtrack) offers big choruses that contrast its tragic narrative. New wave metal (“Evil”) dovetails with sinister surf (“Surf Bat”), bent power pop (“Bad Love”), and send-ups of early girl groups (“Riboflavin,” “Phantoms”). Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” gets a killer makeover. Lots of underground L.A. rock stars are on this album too. A classic.
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