I See Good Spirits, I See Bad Spirits [Original recording remastered]

Saying that Buck Ryder/Thomas Thorn made the band anything is like saying that the gas you put in your car makes the horn sound a lot better. The creative core of Thrill Kill Kult has always been Groovie Mann & Buzz McCoy. The musicians and characters that they recruit as part of their mythos are mainly for show and for live purposes. I think Buck Ryder was around to play keyboards and trigger samples on one or two tours, and maybe to pose for some promotional photographs in order to pad out the lineup of the band. But that's as far is it goes.

Thomas Thorn used his stint as Buck Ryder to launch his own band, the Electric Hellfire Club, and they have hardly enjoyed the longevity that Thrill Kill Kult has sustained.

The reason for this is evident in Thrill Kill Kult's music, even this debut collection: They understand that it's all a joke and a put-on. They walk the ambiguous line between making their songs campy (check out "Easy Girl") or ominous ("And This Is What the Devil Does"). While this particular collection leans more toward the ominous, if you take a close look at what they're doing, they have used the simple elements of sampling, chord progressions, and abstract lyrics to make light of what people like Thomas Thorn and bands like The Electric Hellfire don't seem to understand: saying that you are in league with Satan, especially in the context of rock music, is just as silly as thumping a Bible and telling other people they're going to burn in Hell.

What make Thrill Kill Kult more than just a gag is that they have used this theme to reflect some very real emotions in their musical fantasies. The whole Satanism/cult theme is used here to allude to very real feelings of alienation ("Devil Does"), betrayal ("These Remains"), and angst ("On This Rack"). Whether it was intended or not, you can even find elements of philosophy in "Gateway to Hell", which uses the lyrical refrain of "You're not real, we have to think so" to suggest psychological theories of absolute reality and moral direction.

Anybody who sees this as "Satanic rock" is missing the whole point. Instead, Thrill Kill Kult seem interested simply in the fascination that many people have with the occult, as well as the ability that this topic has to get people riled up over nothing. The distance they create between themselves and their material suggests that they see the whole image as fantasy, and their abilty to create aggressive and engaging soundscapes is the main focus of the band in the first place. "...Good Spirits" is an admirable debut that they managed to improve upon with each successive release.

It's like a black celebration commemorating a grand, satanic conquest. Think of a dark, blood-stained dancefloor clogged with ghouls and wicked things, all pulsing and gyrating while a house band pumps vilified electro-industrial-goth-funk through monstrous, brain-hemmoraging speakers. Well, Thrill Kill Kult is that house band.

"I See Good Spirits and I See Bad Spirits" was released in December 1988 on the legendary Chicago-based industrial label 'Wax Trax!' This is TKK's debut album, and as such it's less polished than their later releases. It may even sound dated to those who haven't grown up with it. But if that turns you off, then you're missing out on some great music.

The easiest category in which to pigeonhole TKK is "industrial." There are some heavy industrial overtones, true, but TKK shares just as much in common with goth, house, glam, metal, and even funk. Add to that their own original and idiosyncratic style and you find TKK in a league all their own.

The album is ripe (or rotten) with diabolical imagery. "There are a lot of people who practice independent satanic rituals" is the first sample you hear, followed by "there are just some, uh, eccentric housewives trying to imagine the devil under every bed." "The tempter, the bad Mary" and "lovers and killers of Christ" sings TKK crooner Groovie Mann on the album's second track, "X-Communication." "This man says I have needed to mend my unholy life" he wails on "... And This Is What The Devil Does." Yep, he has some 'splaining to do when he arrives at those Pearly Gates.

My favorite track on this album, and one of my favorite all-time TKK cuts, is "Do You Fear (For Your Child)." There are so many cool things going on in the music. Buzz McCoy pulls out all the stops: from his ominous bass guitar to the numerous samples -- "oh, uh-uh-uh-oh," "straight outta hell," "you're not God" -- this is a tight song. I love the lyrics, especially the first verse. Groovie's vocals, sleazy and ultra-cool, are right on, and the Bomb Gang Girls provide soulful backup.

The music on this album is varied and frenetic, and not quite like anything you've probably heard before, unless you have the other early TKK albums. "Heresy" and especially "Universal Blackness" are so dismal, foreign, and ominous it's almost frightening. Don't worry, the songs can't hurt you. Nevertheless, try not to listen to "Universal Blackness" with the lights off for any extended period of time if you value your sanity. Just a tip.

I don't know if it came across, but My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult is one of my favorite bands. If you're unsure about this band or this album, please take my review with a healthy dose of levity. And please make sure your conscience can handle all the unholiness that TKK will throw at you on this album. ...