FLESHBATS, Pure Flesh for Stomach & Mind (cassette, 1988)

Frantic, earnest hardcore made by honest to god excellent musicians. Everything about it kicks ass, but I especially love Mike Smith's amazing guitar playing, which makes me think of Black Sabbath and DOA.

Jason gave me a copy of this tape not long after it was recorded. I listened to it all summer. Later that year I joined FLESHBATS as second guitar player. I'll say more about that when I post their second cassette Petty Criminals Hang Like Monkeys, but for now, I'll keep it brief.

FLESHBATS were:

Jayson Himes - vocals
Lino Bovenzi - drums
Mike Smith - guitar
Dave Robick - bass

Lino was born and raised in Italy, which has a long tradition of excellent hardcore (cf. NEGAZIONE, INFEZIONE). In Dayton, he drove a cab.

After FLESHBATS broke up, Dave, Mike, and Lino played together in a number of bands through the '90s, including GONGKICKER (with Chris Pospisil on vocals) and THE IGNITERS.

Jayson's current band is THE AMERICAN STATIC, an incredibly popular act around town right now which also includes Todd Weidner (SHRUG) and, until recently, Steven Gullet (SNAKE OIL, LOVE LIES BLEEDING, et al.).

Track List:

1. Revolution Time
2. Racheal's Mess
3. Homemade LSD
4. Sand and Blood
5. Urban Hatred
6. Fast One, Slow One
7. I'm on Junk

Recorded at Cro-Magnon studios, January 1988.

All tracks are great, but the best one is "Revolution Time," an anthemic fuck-you to consumer society.

Download it! (17 MB) (link re-upped on 2-1-2013)

take care

---Jones