An exceedingly dark, claustrophobic recording, Death Church is the debut long-player from Rudimentary Peni, a group plagued by all manner of misfortune, illness, and bad luck. Lead by a gargantuan guitar steamroller that s... more »till manages to maintain a supple sense of movement, Rudimentary Peni add a competent rhythm section and the talents of the estimable Nick Blinko to their punk-rock poison. A wonderful visual artist and a wordsmith capable of jolting turns of phrase, Blinko rants, raves, and sputters through 21 tunes of paranoia, conspiracy, and doom politics. Filled out by song structures that sometimes lurch, sometimes thrash, Blinko adds creepy vocal overdubs and spoken asides that make a visit to the Death Church all the more hallucinatory. --S. Duda« less
An exceedingly dark, claustrophobic recording, Death Church is the debut long-player from Rudimentary Peni, a group plagued by all manner of misfortune, illness, and bad luck. Lead by a gargantuan guitar steamroller that still manages to maintain a supple sense of movement, Rudimentary Peni add a competent rhythm section and the talents of the estimable Nick Blinko to their punk-rock poison. A wonderful visual artist and a wordsmith capable of jolting turns of phrase, Blinko rants, raves, and sputters through 21 tunes of paranoia, conspiracy, and doom politics. Filled out by song structures that sometimes lurch, sometimes thrash, Blinko adds creepy vocal overdubs and spoken asides that make a visit to the Death Church all the more hallucinatory. --S. Duda
If you happen to find a copy of this cd for under $30, consider yourself lucky - it is a nihilist classic!
Whether you are an anarchist, athiest, vegan, or just a fan of punk rock, this is an essential listen. Or should I say an existential lesson?
Check out the lyrics to "Flesh Crucifix" (Carnivores are like tombstones/cremating animal carcasses).
If that isn't a happy enough ditty for ya', then check out the words to "1/4 Dead" (Three quarters of the world are starving/The rest are dead).
If you like your music bleak (without hope), spiritually dead, and with a schizoid rage not ever duplicated since this recording, you will absolutely LOVE Rudi Peni's masterpiece, Death Church.
Did I mention the lead singer Nick Blinko was hospitalized numerous times for mental disorders, and that the band NEVER performed live? After you hear some of the recordings (where he overdubs multiple voices aka personalities) and see his artwork, you might understand why!
1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
CD Reviews
The devil's in the details...
Oliver Sheppard | US | 06/21/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Bizarre, weird, freaky, artsy, macabre, snotty punk rock. Depending on my mood, this is my favorite Rudimentary Peni album. (It alternates with "Cacophony" and "The EPs of ...") For those just getting into Rudimentary Peni, however, it's arguably the best place to start. Deathy, bizarre, manic, political... it's all here. In fact, the appeal of this LP is that it straddles several different genres -- it's simultaneously avant garde art; the death rock crowd claim it in their canon of horror rock; and the Crass/political/crusty punks also cite it as one of the seminal 80's Britpunk albums. It deserves all this recognition, and more.The lyrics to "Rotten to the Core" are as incisive as ever: "WHy is it that rock stars always seem to lie so much? / Joe Strummer once said he cared, but he never really gave a f--- / Said he'd use the money he made to set up a radio station to make the airwaves full of something other than sh-- / Have you noticed we're still waiting?" Ouch. (Hey, I like The Clash, by the way, but they've got a point!)Nick Blinko's vocal are unlike those of any other punk band's. His book, _The Primal Screamer_ is a good companion piece to this album, as it tells the tale of the goings-on around the time this LP was recorded. For those not in the know, Mr. Blinko suffers from severe mental illness (paranoid schizophrenia, I think?) -- his spastic yammering for Rudimentary Peni seems evidence enough of this, until one sees the album artwork he designed for "Death Church," which eliminates any remaining doubts. While Peni aren't as fast as, say, Minor Threat, there is an element of sheer dementia here that no other hardcore or punk band could touch. "When You Are a Martian Church" is one of the better songs on the album, for example, and makes no apparent sense. "Vampire State Building" and "Cosmic Hearse" temper the more political moments with claustrophobic dementia, as well. Highly recommended."
An Anarcho Punk Classic.
B-R-Mike M. | Old Lyme, CT USA | 09/29/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In the eighties, the London scene saw an uprising of talented and insightful punk bands who followed an anarchaic song style and point of view. Bands like Crass, Conflict, Flux of Pink Indians and Icons of Filth helped define this new form of punk called anarcho. Rudimentary Peni's Death Church is one of the most accomplished and well done album in this genre. Darker than most other bands they had followed, RP wrote disturbing songs about death, war, famine, and chaos. Death Church is a chaotic mix of 21 excellent songs that follow a early Crass meets late Conflict style of punk rock.
The songs are extremely short and flow into each other very easily. With haunting basslines and vocalist Nick Blinko's disturbed, nihilistic and apocalyptic vocals make this into the most frightening album of the genre. With songs ranging from quick angry blasts of nihilistic punk rock to well composed masterpieces, this album influenced both Goth and punk band alike.
RP is definately a visionary band. With a image and attitude completely different and obscure compared to other bands, they help invent their own brand of gothic anracho punk. Definately a record for punk fans of all types and a real eye opener into how this planet really works. Buy It!"
One of the greatest albums I own
Oliver Sheppard | 12/24/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"if you like Rudimentary or Crass, then you'll love this album. They're not as experimental as Crass, but I think they're just as incredible. The twisted black-and-white artwork is another reason to get this album."
Not for those of mainstream tastes or those exremely fond of
Shane A. Bischoff | 07/08/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Rudimentary Peni are and have always been a cult band of sorts. You either get it or you don't. If you're a moronic meat head who prefers slick soloing, tough guy posturing, no lyrical or artistic merit, or something you can just lift weights to while trying to seduce the dumb republican blonde who looks down her nose at you(and every other human being for that matter) then this CD is not for you. Stick to Nickelback or Black Hater Society like all the other insecure posers. Rudimentary Peni play music for the truly ousted and disturbed individuals of society. Death Church, in my opinion, isn't their absolutely best work(that would probably be Cacophony or The EPs of RP) but it is an offering that possibly any lover of punk, post-punk, hardcore punk, and alternative metal can enjoy. The music and lyrics paint an atmosphere of chaos, desperate humor, suffering, and worldwide plight that can appeal to any disenfranchised person of the modern day. Along with fellow englanders, the Subhumans, Killing Joke, Crass, Rudimentary Peni describe a sad apocalyptic world with their own unique creative vision. Slower and snottier than their previous two EPs but more accessible than the two albums that followed, Death Church is a perfect portrait of the disease and puss the apathetic, dumb, greedy, and air-headed infected the world with in the eighties and a pessimistic mourning of the decades and stupidity that came beforehand. From the agonized 1/4 dead to the snide commentary of Dutchmen this band spews all that they are about. Poltical foil, worldwide disaster, macabre surrealist insanity, and brain-rotting despair have never been so well represented all in one since this disc. Like the Melvins who came about a little later and Black Flag of the same time, this band also mixes punk and early Black Sabbath very well. If you have a fondness for the alternative and the bizarre, please pass forth the currency to purchase this item. It is a choice I'm sure you will not regret."
This album kicks so much ass...
M. Ross | FL, United States | 11/14/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Loved by Punks and Deathrockers, this album is a must have for anyone that appreciates a unique, (if raw), vocal style, and driving guitars...sharp, brilliant, psychotic lyrics!Whether you like Punk (REAL Punk, not Blink182, et al!) or Deathrock, this album is for you!"