Rudimentary Peni
Death Church

THE REVIEW

There was a lack of a review on "Death Church" by the anarcho-punx Rudimentary Peni. A review dedicated to "Cacophony" does justice to the indifference that has overshadowed the band, which usually overshadows all worthy formations, but a description of one of the most visceral chapters of these madmen was certainly missing.

"Death Church" was released in 1983 by the indie label Corpus Christi. The times of Crass Records are not far behind, but probably something went horribly wrong between the most famous communal-musicians of rock and these horrific psychopaths. I can't add more: I do not have any biographies or interviews (either paper or virtual) able to explain the group's history in detail.

The album lasts thirty-two minutes and is composed of twenty-one songs. Does something not add up? If you're lovers of the one-hundred-and-eighty-second pop song, I warn you now, you will not find anything "squared" in the notes of "Death Church". If, on the contrary, you love experimentation or revelry... make yourself at home without any problems!

Punk, of course, but also rock 'n' roll explosions, a pinch of noise and heavy dark unease. Someone has called it a "death rock" album, but personally, I wouldn't want to casually throw around adjectives that could turn out to be real boomerangs. Let's just say that if you love the madness of Pistols and Damned, albeit condensed chronometrically, and the dark procession of Joy Division and Christian Death, also condensed, this is the record for you. But I repeat: you must prefer shards to songs and screams to singing.

The voice of Nick Blinko, in fact, seems a bastard cross between John Lydon (PIL) and David Tibet (Current 93). Childish, schizoid, and excruciating.

"Death Church": a brief but monolithic Molotov cocktail thrown against the world of media, corporations, and vivisectionists. There's also room for irony and non-sense digressions. Incredible. And yet, in its rawness, the work even manages to offer epic moments. Listen to tracks like "Radio Schizo" or "Army of Jesus" with its devilish litany. Essential. To understand Anarcho Punk, Horror Punk, and also part of what, in a generic way, we can call "Gothic Rock".