Description
Cross Stitched Eyes – “Autosarcophagy” LP
Recorded between 2016 and 2017, before their 2017 US tour, and then finally finshed off and mixed in 2020. Cross Stitched Eyes are know for their Rudimentary Peni influenced variation on a theme of post-punk/death rock. Previously, albums were released by Alternative Tentacles; and the drum stool was once occupied by the legendary Trotsky (Subhumans)! Now trimmed down to a three piece, the current line-up is Stevie of Germany’s Anger Of Bacterias; Tim Shapland of notorious West Country outfits (of ye olde times), Smart Pils and Zygote; much sought after drummer Jason Willer (from Oakland, California), currently in Charger plus helping out Jello Biafra and his Guantanamo School Of Medicine project (I’m also pleasantly suprised to discover that he was once a member of the excellent Drain The Sky, who had an album on Level Plane several years ago, and that didn’t get nearly enough of its deserved attention).
This band often pick-up a comparison to Killing Joke and Amebix, but I’m not so sure… aside from borrowing the Nick Blinko vocal style (and who can blame them – it’s one of the best punk vocal styles ever), the overall sound is too original and individual to be in any way a copy of others. If Crossed Stitched Eyes have influences, they are too broad and varied for me to be able to pin them down. And I like them all the more for it. And I tell you what, (I’m getting all Greg Wallace here) I really like the subtle space rock flourishes that I’m hearing ocassionally.
There are two versions of vinyl colour, both limited to 300, this is the purple one.