La Muerte

QFuelled by vitriol, compared to such legendary gutter-dwelling sleaze-merchants as The Birthday Party, Foetus, The Stooges and even Salvador Dali, La Muerte has become a standard reference when it comes to Belgium‘s underground rock scene.

Conjuring extreme, horrifying images of death, addiction, the road and urban violence glued to putrid rock ‘n’ roll and manic-depressive bluesrock, La Muerte released a string of cult-albums and EP’s throughout the 80s and early 90s, which heavily resonated with those abandoned by love or devoid of hope. Even the devil’s rejects found refuge in La Muerte‘s growling, howling, stop / start frenzy, and feedback shivers of guitar burning through the dark cracks of life.

In the wake of the band’s schizophrenic, nephritic crusade in a malevolent country, a place of delirium and hate of odious persecution, La Muerte‘s massacre thrashed Europe and the UK, resulting in a John Peel Session at the BBC, full pages of interviews in Melody Maker, and, infamously, bomb threats in Paris by extremists French Catholics for the track ‘Ecoute cette Prière’, before eventually disbanding in 1994.

NECROLOGY

1984: 4 men - 4 riders of the apocalypse. A press release without compromise: “La Muerte, gravediggers dispossessed unfortunate toads legitimate Homeric warriors of a schizophrenic nephritic crusade in a malevolent country, place of delirium and hate of odious persecution, of blood vomited by immense suppurating wounds...”

1984: a record: THE SURREALIST MYSTERY, Dali expo in the ears. Crossover against nature between Belgium and Spain. Inquisition and putrid rock'n'roll: La Muerte makes the abscess in the blues, stinking mouth, and spits and covers Wild Thing. Compared very quickly to Birthday party, Foetus or the Stooges, they sensibly well transport the same resonant extreme image. Yet in some years they become synonymous of the last limit, passing in horror their terrifying eldest. A big part of the specialized international critique doesn't dry up of praises, Belgium is going to follow, and La Muerte becomes quickly a cult group and a reference of the Belgian underground rock.

1985: AND THE MYSTERY GOES ON... The massacre found its goldsmiths and the bleach confirms its new use: the mouth bath. Single of the week in the N.M.E. The waltz of drummers and tours through Europe can begin...

1986: PEEP SHOW / LUCIFER SAM: One live side/one studio side. Syd Barrett disfigured by vitriol. The set of iconoclastic homage’s initiated with Wild Thing is spreading.

1987: EVERY SOUL BY SIN OPPRESSED: over-explored blues roots, Every Soul... impersonate the poor lonesome cowboy who has difficulty leaving his place near the fire. Pay attention, the big cities are not far and the motorcycles are not going to linger to definitely serve new settings to the 4 horsemen. The presence of ARNO at the harmonica reinforces the sulfurous ambiance, deliberately more rock/blues of La Muerte, as if it was necessary to get rid once for all with such a so tactile inspiration that it becomes painful: the hanged man oscillates and the sand pricks the eyes. It is the British period of the group with a simultaneous release in England, where they played with JESUS & The MARYCHAIN, full pages of interviews in MELODY MAKER and consort, as well as a John PEEL Session at the BBC.

1988: SCORPIO RISING: 4 pieces of which two soundtracks for psychotic trash movie. It will be used, in 1998, for the soundtrack (where one figures amongst others Gun Club & Nick Cave) of the movie, Doctor Chance, with Joe Strummer (Dominique De Ruddere will illustrate ‘Hombre Complicados ' also with compositions of the band). With this e.p. entitled from a movie of Corman, La Muerte entered in an irreversible referential system. The pictures of the death, road and urban violence glued to the skin. P.I.A.S. releases the CD, Black God White Devil that covers almost all the vinyl releases of the band on Soundwork records.

1989: DEATH RACE 2000: more rock and heavier than ever. La Muerte gets excited, blasphemes, kills, mutilates itself and especially ... drives. They crash for cash. It is the time to when Marc du Marais confesses the use of squalid news items to write his lyrics. As well as marginal literary techniques such as “the cut-up” or “le cadavre exquis”. It is also the year of a first (others will follow) full Brussels’ Ancienne Belgique, the most prestigious venue in town. The year of a memorable tour through Europe, finishing in Switzerland with a common tour Young Gods/Muerte; as well as the bombing threats of the Parisian concert, by the extremists French Catholics for “Ecoute cette Prière”.

1990: EXPERIMENT IN TERROR: the standards that La Muerte listens to in secret are finally revealed to the world. Entirely constituted of covers, this album permit to observe La Muerte on imposed musical constructions. The treatment of the clichés is again perfect, confirm the gravediggers in their quest of the absolute trashing.

1991: KUSTOM KAR KOMPETITION: frontal shock and killer alien, sunken chest and impact of bullet encircled with burnt flesh. Probably the most succeeded album. The three K of the album are only there for the sonority and especially to see how the Americans will receive this kick in the balls. Follow months and months of tour through Europe and the arrival of the 8th (!) and last drummer.

1994: RAW: ultimate testimony of La Muerte live. A farewell tour in the main capitals of Europe that will end by their hometown Brussels. This ultra long length CD unveils the last creations: Power, Cravacher, Blood on the Moon. As well as the active participation of Richard 242 and Arno. La Muerte chose to finish as it lived: rough and raw. Raw show us what La Muerte had become on stage, a road monster. To see the Death closely is a traumatic experience. It disappeared as it lived, howling...

D. Boyer – Feardrop (F)