Rudimentary Peni was a band that lurked in the shadows of success of the British anarcho-punk movement. The band's lyrics alternate between witty macabre (written by Nick Blinko) and socio-political lyrics (written by Grant Matthews), and is currently one of the only bands from that movement that holds a fanatical fanbase to date. Lead singer/guitarist, Nick Blinko is popular in the Art Brut scene and wrote an autobiographical novel entitled The Primal Screamer, revered amongst his fans to be a literary masterpiece.

Nowadays, musicians of a variety of genres (from thrashcore to death metal to apocalyptic folk) take influence from the work of Rudimentary Peni. There is even an all-girl high school cover band that does all Rudimentary Peni. The legend created by Rudimentary Peni is part in thanks to their evasion of media coverage and the spread of misinformation. It is true that Blinko has, all his life suffered from mental illness(es) and in his art it is obviously reflected. The suffering, torment, and pain created by such illnesses are the driving forces behind his musical and artistic efforts. In fact, "Pope Adrian 37th" was recorded during Nick's recovery from a lengthy illness, and is believed to be the only punk album ever made whilst being detained under Section 3 of the 1983 Mental Health Act. As such, the subject matter of the album relates to the delusions Nick was experiencing at the time, particularly the idea that he was said Pope. Also, Nick had delusions of the macabre element of life and hereafter, thus causing him to study the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Lovers of the movies Hellraiser, Nightbreed and Re-Animator would be lovers of Rudimentary Peni's lyrics.

A new album, No More Pain E.P. was released on 5th May 2008.