Keep forgetting about this record, which I originally borrowed from Goutroy for a rip and then picked up my own copy shortly thereafter. Thanks to Saul for the request/reminder in my last post!
Here we have an excellent slice of 1988 goth from the UK, right from the era of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and March Violets. It’s actually a pretty fair blend of the two bands, in simplest form – the churn and energy of early Lorries (by way of pounding drum patterns and guitar textures of “Beating My Head” or “Monkeys on Juice”) vs the dual male/female vocals of the Violets. Either way, this EP features four excellent tracks of UK goth, a welcome addition for any fans of the genre.
The band is a three peace, and as far as wax is concerned, this is their only release. They were likely from Birmingham, as their label, Sonic Death Records, was stationed there. There apparently is a demo tape floating around in the ether somewhere, though I can’t seem to find any information about it online outside of a mere mention on their discogs entry. It appears as if the band were planning on a US tour in 1989, though not sure if that ever came to pass before the band called it quits. Aside from the regular lyric/iinfo insert, here’s also apparently an extra 16 page insert with more info and color photographs, but my copy did not come with it, so I can’t offer much else for y’all, other than the download.
With that in mind, here’s the rundown:
The Smoking Mirror- EP 12”
1. Siren Girl
2. Dead Man’s Shirt
3. Prostitute
4. Acid Filth