Long before evolving into the beautiful beasts that gave us this year's To Be Kind, post-rock greats Swans hit the scene furiously with their mangled and monstrous first full-length, Filth. With the original 1983 vinyl pressing long out of print, band leader Michael Gira is further extending his generosity by serving up a new edition this fall through his Young God Records.
Announced through the group's Facebook page, the album arrives remastered on October 28. This is the first official vinyl release of the set since the initial pressing via Glenn Branca's since-extinguished Neutral Records imprint and later a 1990 pressing on Young God. Gira had also paired the album with early days compilation Body to Body, Job to Job for a double-CD release through Young God in 2000.
Filth followed Swans post-punk-leaning self-titled EP from 1982, but ushered in a drastically different lineup and sound. Tracks like "Big Strong Boss" and "Blackout" locked into cyclical, punishing industrial grooves big on new member Norman Westberg's grinding guitar work, cassette loops, metallic banging, and Gira's choked-out, rage-filled cries.
"This is all slabs of sound, rhythm and screaming/testifying. What more do you need?" Gira had previously said in a statement of the release, adding, "In a way, it was a reaction against Punk (and just about any other music you can think of), and the conservative notion that three chords were somehow necessary."
The new pressing comes packaged with a two-sided poster that home in on the album's iconic and terrifying picture of a gritted set of teeth.
You can pre-order the reissue here.
Filth:
1. Stay Here
2. Big Strong Boss
3. Blackout
4. Power for Power
5. Freak
6. Right Wrong
7. Thank You
8. Weakling
9. Gang
Announced through the group's Facebook page, the album arrives remastered on October 28. This is the first official vinyl release of the set since the initial pressing via Glenn Branca's since-extinguished Neutral Records imprint and later a 1990 pressing on Young God. Gira had also paired the album with early days compilation Body to Body, Job to Job for a double-CD release through Young God in 2000.
Filth followed Swans post-punk-leaning self-titled EP from 1982, but ushered in a drastically different lineup and sound. Tracks like "Big Strong Boss" and "Blackout" locked into cyclical, punishing industrial grooves big on new member Norman Westberg's grinding guitar work, cassette loops, metallic banging, and Gira's choked-out, rage-filled cries.
"This is all slabs of sound, rhythm and screaming/testifying. What more do you need?" Gira had previously said in a statement of the release, adding, "In a way, it was a reaction against Punk (and just about any other music you can think of), and the conservative notion that three chords were somehow necessary."
The new pressing comes packaged with a two-sided poster that home in on the album's iconic and terrifying picture of a gritted set of teeth.
You can pre-order the reissue here.
Filth:
1. Stay Here
2. Big Strong Boss
3. Blackout
4. Power for Power
5. Freak
6. Right Wrong
7. Thank You
8. Weakling
9. Gang
