Scratch Acid

Before the Jesus Lizard, before Rapeman, before singer David Yow, bassist David Wm. Sims and drummer Rey Washam left Austin, Tex., for the fertile Noise Rock ground that Steve Albini (among others) had created in Chicago -- there was Scratch Acid, a band as abrasive as a brand-new Brillo pad, as heavy as a Sherman Tank, and as scary as anything ever released on vinyl at that time. During their live shows, the band would often appear completely naked, covered in mud, and high on...well, the name makes one wonder. The band's sound was chaotic and aggressive, but they never bothered with the type of experimentation with instrumentation and genre that made fellow Austin-ites the Butthole Surfers borderline Neo Psychedelic; Scratch Acid's only goal seemed to be to frighten the bejeezus out of the listener. Songs titles like "Cannibal," "Crazy Dan" (in that lil' ditty a man sets his wife on fire), and "Damned for All Time" give you a glimpse into their collective twisted mind, but it is only by listening to their sonic assault that one can truly delve into the dementia.