Cultural Amnesia "Enormous Savages Enlarged" Cd

One of my absolute favorite compilations I've heard this year, UK Post-Punk/Industrial Act Cultural Amnesia have re-issued this formerly import-only compilation and added five unreleased tracks to this impressive set. The band have long been known for their ties to other UK Industrial acts such as Coil and Psychic TV, but to me they have a sound that goes far more sonically diverse than the previously mentioned acts, as well as much of Industrial music in general. Their sound is rooted in the dark and menacing electronics of groups like Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle, but with a decidedly funky punk edge with grooves emanating from the influence of the Pop Group and even some of the rhythms of Gang of Four. The songs collected on the compilation were all recorded from 1980-1983', and the tracks are far less noisy and abrasive that one would expect from Cultural Amnesia, with the songs taking on the form of very abstract pop and mega-skewed punk. Most interesting is the five unreleased tracks on the record were all recorded in this past decade, and they show Cultural Amnesia playing less with synthesizers and electronics and embracing a more straight ahead and almost anthemic rock n roll sound, with markedly clearer production. It's nice to see that Cultural Amnesia has let their sound grow instead of sticking to the same f-ed up electronics and tape hiss quality of their early records and become more or less a classic UK Post-Punk band. Some songs swagger like the fall at their best while others pummel your senses into nothingness like Neubauten, but in any case, if you are at all interested in 80's underground UK you must track this compilation now.