When we’re talking about records produced by Steve Albini, it’s not uncommon for his work in particular to become an album or EP’s most common talking point. That’s fair considering the man’s legendary ethic, even if it’s occasionally ironic considering his main goal was to highlight bands and artists as they were.
But with ZENI GEVA, the legend feels more collaborative, like a myth that only makes sense when told from alternating perspectives. You’ve got the maestro at the helm trying to capture or even add to the magic, but even for him, we can only imagine ZENI GEVA are a monstrous force to contend with.
It’s a match made in heaven for a hellhound audience, and of course our friends at SKiN Graft are the perfect people to make sure not a single pair of captive ears are missed with the upcoming remaster of the first time they worked together, Total Castration. Thirty five years after its 1991 release, it’s going to be put to vinyl for the very first time, and we couldn’t be more stoked to help spread the word.
The record’s relentless title track is streaming now on Bandcamp, and it’s timeless, unforgiving blend of punk, prog, and sludge hits every bit as hard as it did decades earlier. Also, when’s the last time you heard a song about castration? Actually, don’t answer that. Hopefully not too often or the whole thing kind of loses its edge.
Formed in Tokyo in 1987, ZENI GEVA reached a turning point on 1991’s Total Castration, the first album recorded and engineered by their lifelong friend and collaborator Steve Albini.
Never before available on vinyl and extensively restored and remastered, Total Castration is where one of rock music’s most ferocious and uncompromising partnerships began – a landmark in heavy music laid to analog tape. Total Castration is available on 24Hz GOLD Color Vinyl and comes complete with a collectible, double-sided Footlong OBI. A limited run, pro-duplicated CDs in Digipack Lite packaging is also available, as is an ULTIMATE EDITION Bundle that brings together the CD and Vinyl. The Ult-Ed and CD will include FOUR additional tracks – the ZENI GEVA side of 1992’s long out of print split album with LEWD – recorded live at 20000 Volts Tokyo. These tracks offer a glimpse into a largely unheard period of the progressive metal powerhouse, as ZENI GEVA take a psychedelic turn under the driving dual drum (!) attack of EITO and YASUKO.
One can only hope that the record comes with a massive poster of that… well, frankly incredible artwork. It really only gets more disturbing as you look at it, but there’s a dash of joy in there too. Psychotic, unhinged joy that fans of ZENI GEVA, SKiN GRAFT, and Steve Albini will be happy to have physical copies of this October 30th.
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