Icons Of Filth - "Brain Death" and "The Filth & The Fury" EPs on Mortarhate
Immediately what's really striking about this EP is Squealer's artwork, just brilliantly morbid. Icons Of Filth hailed from Cardiff, Wales and were part of the Anarcho-Punk scene of the '80s. To be honest with you I was late to catch on to those bands but Icons Of Filth, Conflict and Rudimentary Peni were on my radar quite early on after having gotten into hardcore punk. 'Enough is Enough' is nothing short of an absolute scorcher of a song and 'Brain Death' on the B-Side is an equal contender along the short 'Success on a Plate'. The lyrics are just as expected loud and aggressive rants about the meat industry and the music is pounding with anger and harsh beats out of the boxes. This is definitely a winner and ideal if you want to piss off your neighbors.
Label: Mortarhate; Year: 1986; Format: 7" EP
It's a real shame that this EP's production and mastering is just beyond bad because the songs are just as good as the ones on the "Brain Death" EP. I think it would be fair to assume that by this point Icons Of Filth were really fed up with the Punk Scene on a whole and really take a piss on this platter, and as bad as the production of this EP may be the lyrics and the artwork really make up for it.
"Hello & Welcome To the Filth & The Fury Punk Rock Revolution? What started out to challenge social regulations & values turned out to be a right joke. There was & still is much more to be challenged than the clothes you wear or the music you listen to. Stereotyping goes much further than this. Your clothing doesn't automatically change your personality. This sort of change is purely external. Admittedly it is one way of saying 'No' to stereotyping of clothing but ask yourself Bisti enough?"
Above text from 'Sunk Rock' is just a tiny snippet of the entire rant and goes to show how genuine bands like Icons Of Filth and others from the Anarcho-Punk scene were in their approach to music and the scene on a whole. There is never a bad time to make people think about their actions, no matter how well intended. Again, I just wish the production on this EP was on par with the music and artwork & design as it would make it into a master piece. Never the less it's still a keeper and worth every penny of your hard earned money should you not have it yet. More Icons Of Filth reviews to follow in the future. RIP Stig.
Update 9-20-22: RIP Squealer having passed away last week. Your art will live on forever.
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