'Rembrandt Pussyhorse' and 'PCPPEP' among the first remasters to emerge.
Matador is reissuing a number of key releases by the legendary Butthole Surfers, bringing their strange and grotesque world to a new generation.
The Texas band were formed by singer Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary in 1981 and incorporated elements of psychedelia, noise rock, and punk as well as their use of sound manipulation and tape editing. The band also included second drummer Teresa Nervosa, who passed away last year.
A brief San Francisco performance was witnessed by Jello Biafra and the Dead Kennedys frontman and Alternative Tentacles overseer invited the Butthole Surfers to open for Dead Kennedys and T.S.O.L. at Los Angeles’ Whisky a Go Go. Biafra subsequently put out their debut EP.
Forced Exposure writer and critic Byron Coley said: “The early-mid ’80s had their share of insane combos – The Birthday Party, Black Flag and Minor Threat had the raw power to melt your mind in seconds. SWANS, Einsturzende Neubauten and Big Black created enough overwhelming sonic pressure their sounds might actually flatten you.
“And Sonic Youth displayed such a dizzyingly unpredictable mix of art, pop culture and violence you’d sometimes leave their shows drooling. The Buttholes shared elements with all of these groups, but added a wild psychedelic edge and a propensity for bizarre spectacle.”
Matador’s remastered reissues begin with ‘Psychic…Powerless…Another Man’s Sac’, ‘Rembrandt Pussyhorse’, and ‘PCPPEP’, which have already hit streaming services with vinyl to follow on March 22.
Then, in addition to 1983’s ‘Butthole Surfers’ EP (plus PCPpep), ‘Pioughd’ + ‘Widowermaker!’, ‘Humpty Dumpty LSD’, ‘Hairway To Steven’, and ‘Locust Abortion Technician’ will follow.
In addition to the reissue campaign, a feature length documentary about the band is scheduled to premiere later this year.
Main Photo Credit: Pat Blashill
Follow Butthole Surfers on Their Socials
Need more Punk In Your Life?
EP review: No Real Hero – ‘H’
Hailing from Montreal, Canada, ‘H’ is No Real Hero’s first release of new material since 2018. The band originally emerged in 2012 as a hard
Live review: Vive Le X-Mess 2024, London Water Rats, 4th Dec
Ah, the Vive Le Rock magazine X-Mess gig – it’s becoming a great tradition indeed. The Water Rats gets increasingly packed and sweaty tonight, and
Live review: Chubby And The Gang, London Hackney Moth Club, 3rd Dec 2024
Chubby and the Gang’s Charles ‘Chubby’ Manning Walker is – by his own admission – not a man of words. It matters little, because this
Album review: Hung Like Hanratty release ‘Welcome to the Future’
From Sutton in Ashfield, UK, Hung Like Hanratty are one of the most well-known, hilarious, fun punk bands around! They have played hundreds of gigs
Live review: Grade 2 / Pickled Dick / Everyone Lies at the Boileroom, Guildford 2/12/24
Marvellous Punk music made Monday night a fun night – Grade 2’s end-of-year tour is a must-see! First support are Southampton’s excellent SkatePunk band Everyone
Live review: The Skinner Brothers – a stunning night of mayhem!
Nottingham’s iconic live music venue, The Bodega, played host to the electrifying Skinner Brothers, delivering an unforgettable show that perfectly captured the essence of their
An occasional writer on punk rock.
Click on Dom’s photo for more of his articles
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
