“The Dicks From Texas” DVD (director: Cindy Marabito)

Love those Dicks

This 70-minute documentary examines the legendary Texan punk band, the Dicks, who remain woefully obscure today, despite influencing everyone from Ian MacKaye to Henry Rollins (both of whom appear here, by the way). Director Marabito includes interviews with nearly all members (even archived ones with members and associates since deceased), including the charismatic frontman Gary Floyd, whose sexually ambiguous and unashamedly homosexual persona were quite a 1-2 punch alongside his outspoken and confrontational political and social satire.

“The Dicks From Texas” isn’t a super-slick or necessarily clean film, with some footage being rough and VHS-based. But that’s forgivable, given that most of this stuff is from the early 80s. There are some great stories here, from a time when being “punk” or different often meant harassment from the mainstream. The Dicks live on today with the occasional reunion show, and this film is a loving tribute to one of the weirder (and that’s saying a lot) underground acts spawned in the lone star state.

MVD Visual

Dicksbook

Rigor Mortis - “Welcome To Your Funeral: The Story Of Rigor Mortis - Part 1” DVD (director: Bruce Corbitt)

R.I.P. Mike Scaccia

This documentary, produced with the direct involvement of the surviving Rigor Mortis members as a tribute to their fallen guitar legend Mike Scaccia (later famous for being Ministry’s mid-to-late period guitarist), covers the inception of this influential Texan speed metal outfit until 1987, when they signed to Capitol Records. It’s a solid and reverential collection of rare footage, both live and behind the scenes, with tons of interviews with friends and band members telling all sorts of sordid tales of the band’s legendary drunken brawls, parties, and hellbent live shows that fused brutal death and speed metal with a horror/gore slant.

Narrated by Philip H. Anselmo (yes, he of Pantera and Down fame and infamy), this is a thoroughly entertaining and intimate portrait of one of Texas’ best loved (and hated) bands. Speed and gore metal fans who are familiar with this band need to check this one out, and even those curious as to the genesis of a band who’ve since influenced a shit-ton of metal bands, would do well to see this one. It’s not overly slick or packed with digital graphics, but it’s a great document and a fitting tribute to a real-life guitar hero.

MVD Visual

Rigor Mortis - “Rigor Mortis” CD

Classic thrash

The legendary debut album from Texas’ infamous thrash metal innovators has been at last reissued, with an added bonus track for fans (the punk-tinged “Spivey”). Originally released way back in 1988, Rigor Mortis (whose members would later go on to further notoriety with bands like Gwar and Ministry) dared to fuse ultra-speedy thrash metal with their gore movie fascination. Tracks like “Wizard Of Gore” or “Re-Animator” hold their inspirations proudly on their sleeves, and they obviously had a lot of fun doing it. Kudos for not taking themselves too seriously.

Coming around at roughly the same time as Slayer, Rigor Mortis mined much the same territory, never receiving quite the acclaim as their Bay Area brothers, but producing at least as heavy a din. Production on “Rigor Mortis” is clean, thanks to Skinny Puppy producer Dave Ogilvie’s mix, but the real treat here is the band’s skill at lightning-fast, yet clean instrumentation. Vocalist Bruce Corbitt has a raspy growl, but it never gets to the point of going all “Cookie Monster”, and guitarist Mike Scaccia had some of the speediest guitar riffs I have ever heard. This is old-school thrash metal, pure and unadulterated, and one of the genre’s most beloved templates.

Unequivocally a big influence on many a death metal act, Rigor Mortis’ debut is a recording that may not get it’s full due, but certainly has a place in many a metalhead’s heart. 

official Rigor Mortisbook

"All The Labor" DVD (director: Doug Hawes-Davis)

Gourd bless...

This feature-length documentary on Austin, TX-based roots/Americana band the Gourds serves as an audio-visual love letter to the band. As well, it's a perfect introduction to a band that's survived nearly 20 years and released armfuls of albums, yet has never made it to that "next level". I'm almost embarrassed to mention that I'd never heard this group before, either.

Recorded at home and on stage with the band, "All The Labor" shows the obvious love these guys have for each other and the music itself. Despite a feverish (yet small) fan base, these guys continue on without much promise of "the big payoff". Love of the music is their drive, and that's certainly admirable and noble. So what's it like? Imagine alt.country Americana, with a sense of humor and an almost jam-band like predilection for extended improv, and you're close. The Gourds are great showmen, and project energy, charisma, and passion as well or better than so-called "national" touring acts I've seen. 

"All The Labour" is well-filmed, inspiring, and an enlightened portrait of a band with their hearts in the music. Worth a look, for sure.

High Plains Films via MVD Visual

Gourds dot com

Mentallo & The Fixer - "Music From The Eather" 2xCD

Having listened to these Texan brothers since receiving one of their cassette demos way back in the late 80s, it's good to see them still around and further honing their heavy sequencer electronic body sounds. "Music From The Eather", the Dassing brothers' first release in 5 years, consists of two extended discs. 

"Good News And Warnings" (CD1) is 13 tracks (and over 70 minutes) of hypnotic and moody instrumental electro-industrial soundtracks. Tracks like "Untapped Regions" are darkened slices of electronic textures that harken equally to the percolating sequences of Tangerine Dream and the noisy horror-scapes of Skinny Puppy. "Shadow Of My Former Self" is a thick, layered assault of sequences, samples, and rhythms -- complex but still based more on rhythm than melody. "Wandering Off In The Dark" is a reflective 12-minute journey, complete with Biblical verses, hallucinogenic sound gurglings, and wicked rhythm programming. 

The second disc, "Altered Everything Forever", is another 18 tracks and 70+ minutes -- with more new cuts and remixes. It's all in a similar vein, with deftly-programmed electronic rhythms and intensely detailed sequencers and samples. A solid (if somewhat indulgent) genre release, and squarely-aimed at Mentallo's rabid 90s-era fanbase, "Music From The Eather" is a winner.

(Alfa Matrix)

Mentallospace

Honky - "421" CD

Featuring longtime Butthole Surfers bassist Jeff Pinkus and mixed by that same band's Paul Leary, one would assume this shares something with Texas' legendary psychedelic-drug-punk act. But Honky (this is their 5th album) brings the heavy, dirty, sludgy, stoner rock & roll, more in line with their brethren/forefathers in ZZ Top or Kyuss.

"Just A Man" should be a rock radio staple, with deep-fried, down-tuned guitar riffs and a catchy melody. It's all balls-out from there, as these guys attach thick guitars, lava lamp proto-metal grooves, and bluesy rock (as in the Southern boogie of "Handful of Nails"). Well-done sludgy, bluesy rock for the bad boys (and girls). (MVD Audio)

Honky net

Honkybook