Severed Heads
Ear Bitten (2lp)
A double LP reissue of some of the band's earliest material. As originary Aussie industrial legends - although founder Tom Ellard would balk at being branded as such - Severed Heads shaped the continental subcultural sound with their kitchen electronics, chaotic tape loops, and quietly infectious nursery-rhyme-esque melodies. In 1979 Ellard, Richard Fielding, and Andrew Wright abandoned the moniker Mr. and Mrs. No Smoking Sign and adopted the edgier name Severed Heads "to pretend to be an industrial band such as Surgical Penis Klinik and Throbbing Gristle." 'Ear Bitten' was released in 1980; original copies now fetch obscene sums, in part due to most of Severed Heads' copies perishing in a fire at Richard's home. The band's next endeavor was a cassette titled 'Side 2,' a collection of free-form experiments fashioned as 'Ear Bitten's second side. For this reissue, Dark Entries has collected both 'Ear Bitten' and 'Side 2' on the first disc, presenting the album in its full form. Disc two includes the original first version of 'Ear Bitten,' which was only unreleased because it was recorded in a format not suitable for pressing. The album comes in a gatefold sleeve designed by Eloise Leigh and includes photos, liner notes, and reproductions of the original xerox inserts from the 1980 issue. 'Ear Bitten' delivers 22 tracks of pain you can dance to!