Smell & Quim/Priest in Shit

Smell & Quim/Priest In Shit - Rough Skin

Little Mafia Records

If this record had some point of sale material it would be an arse with the record shoved between its cheeks. If it was a bad stain it would be one you found in the gusset of your knickers. If it was a disease it would be flesh eating bacteria. If it was a pain it would be kidney stones. I don’t think Richard Ramirez has ever been involved in an LP of ballads and I don’t suspect he’s going to start soon. Having said that Ramirez had been involved in literally dozens of projects and maybe buried in there somewhere lies the Nancy Sinatra/Lee Hazelwood covers LP … but I doubt it. His involvement with Priest in Shit, like most of his other work is confrontational. Smell & Quim then are ideal bedfellows.

Rough Skin is ugly as sin degraded loops of muck ground down to nth degree mulch in which only the bad bits are left stuck between the grooves. I feel that this has been plucked from some unreleased mid 90’s work. It bears similarities with what Smell & Quim were up to then. Side one is a mass of disintegrating loops of run off fluff, a free-fall elevator ride in which you pass various levels of hideousness. Its like having one ear filled with water whilst the others been used as punch bag. Side two is a howling squawk fest in which small piles of dynamite are regularly detonated. The picture disc itself gives you some indication; the distorted face of a leering priest and what looks like a gynecological close up.

I’m assuming that this has laid dormant in someones cupboard for the last 15 years as its nothing like what Smell & Quim are up to these days. As for Ramirez, well who knows. To be honest I’m not that familiar with his work and his back catalogue gives me the horrors. A worthwhile document and a good indicator as to what used to come through your door in jiffy bags circa 1995.

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