First of all, whose crazy idea was it to pair up Marc Almond and Foetus' J.G. Thirlwell, and how much of a hand in the recording did Thirlwell really have? It's hard to know, since Slut, originally issued in 1987 as a 12" under the moniker the Flesh Volcano, was a pretty obscure platter at the time of its release.

Just released in the States, this truly bizarre recording opens with Almond repeatedly screeching inane things like "Slut! Slut!" over instrumental versions of Foetus' "Bedrock" and "Diabolus In Musica." "Bruise N' Chain," however, sounds like a true collaboration, if only because it's the only one of the three original recordings that doesn't totally suck.

But Slut's four bonus tracks, surprisingly, are where it's at. They run the gamut from piano- lounge melodies and speed freak scat to 1980s horror- flick chase scenes and Russian symphonies, all with Almond's typical vocals and Thirlwell's trademark production techniques and ever- present genius. And while strictly for Foetus and Almond fans, Slut is an incredible example of what the two were capable of when they put their heads together.

-Ryan Schreiber