Marc Almond and Foetus
Slut
[Thirsty Ear]
Rating: 7.1
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