Spike In Vain - Disease Is Relative LP

Spike In Vain are a band that have always eluded me. I’d seen the bootleg t-shirt and knew them as an in-crowd secret. I was expecting something crude and cartoon-y but instead here’s a record that's as focused as it is antagonistic... while still sitting somewhere in the realm of anti-hardcore/noise rock.

The overlooked thing about the so-called anti-hardcore groups (No Trend, Stickmen With Rayguns, Flipper etc) is that beyond the "punking the punks" and spectacle of being "anti", there’s a deep love of an eclectic range of music and often an insightful commentary on society.

I guess that explains why this LP reminds me of how the Dead Kennedys blurred the line between satire and serious love for early rock ‘n’ roll.

A record that bridges the gap between Pere Ubu and Pious Faults. Gotta have it!
- Nic