SELF ABUSE has remained on the second tier of '80s UK bands, you only seem to hear about them after delving a little deeper into the world of less appreciated acts, but I think this 1984 demo is one of their highlights. Never mind the whining off key vocals in "On & On" that sound as if there were a producer behind the board trying to convince the boys to go for a chart topper and throw in some new wave crooning, just get into the driving jerky beat of "Another Nightmare" and "Strange Life," two certifiable burners. Moments of SLAUGHTER & THE DOGS and EDDIE & THE HOT RODS creep into the tunes - just enough rock 'n roll to keep the train rolling, and the guitar is straight '77 punk in the best way. The ten song live recording on the flip is predictably rough, but the sound is good enough to let their hooks shine through, and it's clear that SELF ABUSE were a seasoned live act. It always pleases me to hear these live sets...the band is positively killing it, and are greeted to a lackluster smattering of forced applause before going into the next song. Just goes to show that even "back in the day," some of the best bands played gigs in front of paltry apathetic crowds who had no idea what they were witnessing. The SELF ABUSE discography is lengthy, and many of their other releases are available on many blogs (including this one), so get to clicking.
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