Description
Across two 7”s, Death Or Glory (1982) and Death Rocks (1983) and
one 12”, Anguish (1982) Jimmy Smack carved his own bleak chasm amidst
the LA Death Rock scene that he inhabited. After decades dormant in the
crypt, Knekelhuis compiles Smack’s full recorded output, providing it a
lavish place to rest on the Death Is Certain LP.
While his local punk contemporaries pursued aggressive hardcore and
political punk, Jimmy Smack donned corpse paint (before it would later
become synonymous with the European black metal movement) and found a
home performing in venues like the Anti-Club, amongst other subterranean
dwellers Christian Death, Dead Hippie and 45 Grave.
Even within this lurid milieu, Jimmy Smack stood alone. Hating Life
(from Death Rocks) easily locates Jimmy within the negative-punk and KBD
lexicon. However his recordings, consisting of voice, rhythm box and
electrified bagpipe drones, otherwise veer closer to other-worldly
avant-garde rituals. Jimmy’s background in theatre and performance
art helping inform not only his menacing stage presence, but also
spawning the singularity of his sound.
Death Is Certain comes housed in a printed inner sleeve featuring
rarely seen archival photos, liner notes by Cooper Bowman and excerpts
from an interview with Jimmy Smack conducted by Juan Mendez (Silent
Servant)
![Jimmy Smack - Anguish [Knekelhuis]](media/video-thumbnail/136889-0.jpg)
