• The Flesheaters

    Location: Los Angeles  

    Active: 1977 – 1983

    Flesh Eaters 1981 photo by Scott Lindgren

    Discordant jazz punk fueled by the manic lyrics of monster movie and Japanese gangster film enthusiast, poet, writer for Slash Magazine, and producer Chris Desjardins. One of the earliest bands to emerge from the LA punk movement, they brought something new and wild to the mix. Though the lineup remained fluid around Desjardins, their 1981 album ‘A Minute To Pray, A Scond To Die’ featured an impressive lineup of keystone punk bands (cowpunk? Maybe too early for that, but all include a significant country influence:) Stan Ridgway of Wall of Voodoo, John Doe and D. J. Bonebrake of X, Germs and The Eyes, Tito Larriva of the Plugz, and Blasters members Dave Alvin and Bill Bateman.

    A more permanent lineup with Don Kirk, Robyn Jameson and Steve Berlin would follow but the band split up in 1983, and Desjardins focused on Divine Horsemen and later Stone By Stone. A solo album titled ‘Time Stands Still’ in 1984 featured Jeffrey Lee Pierce of The Gun Club and Texacala Jones (Tex & The Horseheads). They reunited for a few years in 1989 and 1997 and released a number of new albums throughout the 2000s.

    Flesheaters contributed tracks to the Tooth And Nail compilation with U.X.A., The Germs and Middle Class, and the ‘Return Of The Living Dead’ soundtrack alongside The Cramps, 45 Grave, TSOL and The Damned.

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/257142-The-Flesh-Eaters

    BandCamp: https://theflesheaters.bandcamp.com/

    Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flesh_Eaters

    Related: Plugz, Blasters, Eyes, Wall Of Voodoo, X, Tex & The Horseheads, The Gun Club, Divine Horsemen, Stone By Stone, U.X.A., The Germs, Middle Class, The Cramps, 45 Grave, TSOL and The Damned, Chris Desjardins, Stan Ridgway, John Doe, D. J. Bonebrake, Dave Alvin, Bill Bateman, Don Kirk, Robyn Jameson and Steve Berlin, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Texacala Jones, ‘Return Of The Living Dead’, cowpunk, Los Angeles, 1977

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  • Circle Of Sig-Tiu

    Location: Bingen am Rhein, Germany 

    Active: 1984 – 1988

    Punk band from Germany that skirted the perimeter of both gothic and metal with their dark themes and heavy guitars. They formed in the wake of Aus 98 by Josef K. (Forthcoming Fire, Von Thronstahl) and Dennis Plummer after just on single. Other members include Dirk Mohr, Holger Düchting, Hüsseyin Eksi,, Nick Mertens, Siegfried Grampe, Steffen B., Styk Thriller.

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/330086-Circle-Of-Sig-Tiu

    Wikipedia: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_Sig-Tiu

    Related: Aus 98, Forthcoming Fire, Von Thronstahl, Josef K, Dennis Plummer, Dirk Mohr, Holger Düchting, Hüsseyin Eksi,, Nick Mertens, Siegfried Grampe, Steffen B., Styk Thriller, Germany

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  • The Sisters Of Mercy

    Location: Leeds, UK 

    Active: 1980 – 1985, 1987 – 1993, present

    Emerging from the UK gothic rock scene, The Sisters of Mercy was Andrew Eldritch, Gary Marx and a drum machine. They spent many years supporting bands like UK Decay, Theatre Of Hate and the more established postpunk/ early gothic bands. After their debut LP Wayne Hussey left to form The Mission. Gary Marx joined the singer of Skeletal Family and started Ghost Dance. Patricia Morrison had left The Gun Club after a UK tour and joined Eldritch in 1985 for a side project called Sisterhood before they resumed Sisters.

    They enjoyed commercial success and the release of several iconic music videos in the late 80s and early 90s. Despite this they went through years of inactivity and no new releases. Andrew Eldritch continues to return to the stage to perform with rotating members as The Sisters Of Mercy. For more on the band and its history check somewhere that is interested in them, you’ll find loads.

    Official: https://www.the-sisters-of-mercy.com

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/83146-The-Sisters-Of-Mercy

    Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sisters_of_Mercy

    Related: Sisterhood, The Mission UK, Skeletal Family, Ghost Dance, UK Decay, Theatre Of Hate, The Gun Club, Andrew Eldritch, Gary Marx, Doktor Avalanche, Wayne Hussey, Patricia Morrison, Leeds, UK 

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  • Corpus Delicti

    Location: Los Angeles, California  

    Active: 1984 – 1985

    Los Angeles Postpunk band from the 1980s. The band consisted of singer R.J. Vasquez, Cesar Fernandez, Jeff Johnson on saxophone, John Orloff and Mike Payan. They released the ‘Joy of Living’ EP on Mystic Records, and a final 7” single ’The Gooze’ on Vasquez’s T.O.N. Records. They also appeared on the various samplers from Mystic alongside bands like Dr. know, Ill Repute, RKL and Flower Leperds.

    corpus delicti (noun) • cor·pus de·lic·ti [ˈkȯr-pəs-di-ˈlik-ˌtī  -(ˌ)tē] • 1the substantial and fundamental fact necessary to prove the commission of a crime • 2the material substance (such as the body of the victim of a murder) upon which a crime has been committed

    They played primarily alongside other hardcore punk bands emerging in 1980s Californian scene, and in 1983 opened up for Specimen and Christian Death on the Batcave UK’s tour through the USA. In 2025 a compilation LP was released to showcase more about their history. Vocalist Vasquez would go on to Why?Things Burn and Orloff went on to Anus The Menace.

    Not to be confused with the 1990s gothic band Corpus Delicti from France of the same name.

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/2153381-Corpus-Delicti-3

    Related: Dr. Know, Ill Repute, RKL Flower Leperds, R.J. Vasquez, Cesar Fernandez, Jeff Johnson, John Orloff, Mike Payan, Mystic Records, Los Angeles

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  • Cyan Revue

    Location: Hamburg, Germany  

    Active: 1984 – 1987

    Tobias Gruben (* July 28, 1963 – † November 2, 1996) was Born in Greece but raised in Germany. He formed the band 4 Kaiserlein with Christoph Schlingensief. By 1984 he moved to Hamburg and there began Cyan Revue with Florian Langmaack, Farschid Niknam, Heidrun Tuchenhagen, Manuel Zonouzi and Michael Behrendt.

    Langmaack would later become one of the core members of international anarchist activist industrial noise group Missing Foundation. Post-Cyan Revue, Gruben was in Die Erde and Sol prior to his death by overdose in 1996.

    Their first album ‘The Gift’ was released in 1985. Amongst bands like Azmodi Bizarr, Xmal Deutschland and the earliest incarnation of Mephisto Walz they made up a well formed German gothic movement. Cyan Revue toured with bands like an Alien Sex Fiend. ‘Four Wounds’ followed in 1986 and by the time ‘Arm’ came out in 1988 they were already disbanded. In 1998, Sebastian Gruben self-released a retrospective CD collecting the bands works into a compilation.

    Links:

    Official: 

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/560651-Cyan-Revue

    BandCamp:

    Wikipedia:

    Related: 4 Kaiserlein, Tobias Gruben, Florian Langmaack, Farschid Niknam, Heidrun Tuchenhagen, Manuel Zonouzi and Michael Behrendt, Christoph Schlingensief,

    Video: documentary, outstanding live

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  • Lords of the New Church

    Location: London 

    Active: 1981 – 1989

    A postpunk combination of some of the best punk bands and musicians formed in 1981. Stiv Bators of The Dead BoysBrian James of The Damned, Dave Tregunna of Sham 69, Nick Turner formerly of the Barracudas.

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/140576-Lords-Of-The-New-Church

    BandCamp: https://thelordsofthenewchurch.bandcamp.com/album/open-your-eyes

    Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lords_of_the_New_Church

    Related: Stiv Bators, The Dead BoysBrian James, The Damned, Dave Tregunna, Sham 69, Nick Turner, The Barracudas

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  • Lydia Lunch

    Location: New York 

    Active: 1977 – present

    Pioneer of the No-Wave movement, spoken word artist and published poet. She was involved in the early punk scene in New York, and said to be the ‘lunch’ that Stiv Bators of Dead Boys needs in the classic song. She started her own band Teenage Jesus And The Jerks, 8-Eyed Spy, Big Sexy Noise, and her own solo work.

    She has a prolific collaborative musical history with artists like Clint Ruin, Rowland S. Howard, Exene Cervenka (of Los Angeles punk mainstays X) and other well known names in punk and industrial/experimental music. In 1983 she performed with Marc Almond of Soft Cell, Nick Cave of The Birthday Party, and Clint Ruin/J. G. Thirlwell of Foetus. The combined troupe went under the name The Immaculate Consumptive and played limited engagements over the Halloween weekend on four shows in New York and Washington DC.

    In film, she appears in Nick Zedd film infamous 1976 ‘They Eat Scum’ punxsploitation sleaze movie that potentially coined the term ‘deathrock’ in a modern punk context. Other films with underground transgressive filmmaker Richard Kern followed, and she was in the Beth B & Scott B film ‘Vortex’.

    Her solo album ‘Queen of Siam’ came out in 1980, followed by ‘13:13’ in 1982 and ‘In Limbo in 1984. Michael Gira of The Swans (formerly Bpeople) and Lydia Lunch were the two speakers on the erotic monologue cassette ‘Hard Rock’ that year. In 1990 she and Rowland S. Howard of Boys Next Door and The Birthday Party put out the Shotgun Wedding EP. She still performs as a solo artist and with a full band and as a spoken word performer.

    Official: https://www.lydia-lunch.net

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/10290-Lydia-Lunch

    BandCamp: https://lydialunch.bandcamp.com

    Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lydia_Lunch

    Related: Dead Boys, Teenage Jesus And The Jerks, 8-Eyed Spy, Big Sexy Noise, Boys Next Door, The Birthday Party, Soft Cell, Foetus, X, The Immaculate Consumptive, Bpeople, The Swans, Stiv Bators, Clint Ruin, Rowland S. Howard, Exene Cervenka, Michael Gira, Marc Almond, Nick Cave, No-Wave, Nick Zedd, They Eat Scum, Richard Kern, Vortex, Spoken Word, Poet, New York

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  • Mnemonic Devices

    Location: Huntington Beach, California 

    Active: 1977 – 1984

    Photograph by Ed Colver

    A California post-punk band formed in 1977. Kevin King and Linnea Ahms began the band together, joined by Michael Jorgensen on drums, guitars by Geofry Kaa. After losing their initial singer, they eventually were introduced to Ann DeJarnett who joined on vocals and contributed violin. She would go on to join Chris Desjardins post Flesheaters project Divine Horsemen, was involved with Shadow Minstrels, and continued with a diverse musical career.

    They only released one EP, ‘Playing On The Dark Keys’ in 1982. Ed Colver photographed the band for the rear cover. The EP was put out by Bemisbrain records, the label that released the 1981 ‘Hell Comes To Your House’ compilation and albums by Nip Drivers, Super Heroines, and Red Wedding.

    In 1982 they appeared on the New Wave Theatre show, a Los Angeles television program that featured bands like 45 Grave, Bad Religion and Dead Kennedys. They were active gigging through LA, supporting bands like The Flesheaters, Lords Of The New Church, X and Lydia Lunch. A reissue of the EP with a wealth of bonus material was released on Bandcamp.

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/787687-Mnemonic-Devices

    BandCamp: https://mnemonicdevices.bandcamp.com/album/playing-on-the-dark-keys-plus

    Related: Divine Horsemen, Shadow Minstrels, The Flesheaters, Lydia Lunch, Lords Of The New Church, X, Nip Drivers, Super Heroines, and Red Wedding, Kevin King, Linnea Ahms, Michael Jorgensen, Geofry Kaa, Ann DeJarnett, Bemisbrain, Ed Colver, New Wave Theatre, 45 Grave, California, 1977

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  • Nox Novacula, August 16, 2024

    Nox Novacula, Synthicide at Tv Eye , Ridgewood, New York, August 16, 2024

    Nox Novacula, Synthicide at Tv Eye , Ridgewood, New York, August 16, 2024

    Photos by Mark Splatter

    https://noxnovacula.bandcamp.com/album/feed-the-fire

    https://www.instagram.com/noxnovacula

  • The Joneses

    Location: Los Angeles  

    Active: 1982 – 1989, *

    The Joneses were a glam punk band from Hollywood formed by Jeff Drake, joined by Paul Mars Marmorstein and Scott Franklin of Mau Maus. Other members like Ron Emory and Greg Kuehn of TSOL, David Thum of Funeral and Tex & The Horseheads, Johnie Sage (also a former Mau Mau) a fill in guitarist in 1982’s Christian Death also rotated in.

    They had a particular dark streak in songs like Graveyard Rock (featured on the ‘Someone’s Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In’ compilation) and a fun, snarky attitude that dripped rock’n’roll in the footsteps of New York Dolls and The Ramones.

    Official: 

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/277720-Joneses

    BandCamp: https://jeffdrake.bandcamp.com/music

    Wikipedia:

    Related: groups, members, location, compilations

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