Amebix - Arise!

Original Release Date

1985

Release Information

UK LP 1985 (Alternative Tentacles - VIRUS 46)
US LP 1985 (Alternative Tentacles - VIRUS 46)

A1 The Moor
A2 Axeman
A3 Fear Of God
A4 Largactyl
A5 Drink And Be Merry
B1 Spoils Of Victory
B2 Arise!
B3 Slave
B4 The Darkest Hour

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UK 2xCD 2014 (Amebix - AMBEA001CD)

Disc One
1 The Moor
2 Axeman
3 Fear Of God
4 Largactyl
5 Drink + Be Merry
6 Spoils Of Victory
7 Arise!
8 Slave
9 The Darkest Hour
10 Right To Ride
11 Beyond The Sun
Disc Two
1 The Moor
2 Largactyl
3 Axeman
4 Spoils Of Victory
5 The Fear Of God
6 Fallen From Grace
7 Slave
8 Arise!
9 Drink And Be Merry
10 The Darkest Hour
11 Largactyl (Encore)

Chart Placings

UK Indie Hit: 3, 8 wks

Credits

VIRUS 46:

That AMEBIX "big band sound" was produced by:
Stigmus Maximus - guitar & b.vox
George the Dragon - synth
Spider - drums
The Baron Rockin Vøn Aphid - bass & vox

Additional backing vocals by Gabba 4 Cox + Mr Sooty

Recorded at SAM Studios Bristol (16 track)
Engineered by Mr Sooty
Tape Op: Sweep (Lee)
Produced by Amebix June 1985

Additional Credits

CD Bonus Tracks

Disc One 10-11: Originally issued as the Right To Ride demo tape, 1987

Disc Two: "The Ambulance Station" Live in London, 2nd February 1985

Reviews & Opinions

PUNKY GIBBON: Love it or hate it, this is undeniably a classic. 'The Moor’ and 'Axeman' are especially gruesome horror movie stuff, but mainly the band’s targets are political, as on 'Slave'.

PUSHEAD, MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL #28, SEPTEMBER 1985: As if a soundtrack for a ultra-bizarre horror treat, AMEBIX scorches down with a deep haunting sound while the guitar and bass churn out some cauldronistic spells of eerie havoc. Vocals are booming and strong, pushing with character, and "Arise" is superbly recorded and shows the improvement of the AMEBIX sound still as powerful as ever. One of the best of 1985. Get it!

ALL MUSIC GUIDE: ...an important record, but was, remains, and probably will always be a commercial failure. A reflection of the bleak outlook of Europe's squatter community, Amebix combined a unique mixture of metal, punk, synthesizers, politics, and alcohol abuse to create the musical and lyrical landscape of a doomed population in a totalitarian, restrictive culture. For fans of the metal and hardcore punk underground scenes, Arise! may very well already be in your CD or record collection, alongside other classic albums by artists like Deviated Instinct, Extreme Noise Terror, and Rudimentary Peni. If it's not, you better take a break from sewing punk rock patches on your pants and pick up a copy before anyone notices how lame you are.

MARK PAYTRESS, RECORD COLLECTOR, early 1990s: Alternative Tentacles' first ever European signing, the Amebix 'Arise!' album from 1985 has been described by Sepultura's Max Cavalera as "the heaviest, most negative, depressive album of all time". I can think of a few thousand albums issued in the name of popular music which have depressed me considerably more than this, but you'll get his drift: lyrics about how the Axeman is coming, about the inevitable Apocalypse - nuclear or otherwise - and visitations from the angel of death, hammered home in typical proto-crust ordinariness.

Additional Notes

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Images

UK LP 1985 (Alternative Tentacles - VIRUS 46). Click here for more

US LP 1985 (Alternative Tentacles - VIRUS 46)

UK 2xCD 2014 (Amebix - AMBEA001CD). Digipak.