Spike In Vain - Death Drives A Cadillac LP

I had no idea what Cleveland's Spike In Vain sounded like before last week, but had enough positive information (peers wearing bootleg t-shirts, they're from Cleveland) to gather that they'd be in my wheelhouse.

'Death Drives a Cadillac' is their second LP, recorded in 1985, unreleased until 2021. It's an album that's kind of in an "anti-Hardcore" mode (Flipper, No Trend etc), while also being reminiscent of groups from around the initial USA HC period that embraced an outsider rock 'n' roll mysticism, over short haired staunchness.

Saccharine Trust, The Flesh Eaters, Christian Death, heck even The Gun Club all come to mind here, with the Ohio-grade nihilism of Electric Eels and Easter Monkeys. Yes, I have name dropped a large amount of cult bands here, and for good reason.

Their debut LP, 'Disease Is Relative' has also been re-issued but didn't make this large import shipment. Really looking forward to filling in that blank, but am very happy having this one on the listening station for now.
- Nic