1991 studio album by Painkiller
| Guts of a Virgin | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Painkiller | ||||
| Released | October 1991 | |||
| Recorded | April 1991 at Greenpoint, Brooklyn | |||
| Genre | Jazzcore, grindcore, avant-garde metal | |||
| Length | 24:15 | |||
| Label | Toy's Factory Earache | |||
| Producer | John Zorn | |||
| Painkiller chronology | ||||
| ||||
| John Zorn chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 5/10 |
Guts of a Virgin is the first album by American band Painkiller, a band featuring John Zorn, Bill Laswell and Mick Harris. It contains twelve tracks and was released in 1991 on Toy's Factory in Japan and Earache Records in England.
Harris later recalled the album was recorded during a three-hour session in New York City, and all the songs were entirely improvised and composed in the studio. This recording session also led to Harris's departure from Napalm Death, as working with Zorn and Laswell made him realize he wanted to explore different genres of music.
Artwork
The cover art, which features a bald woman with her insides exposed, was censored, seized and destroyed the first shipment in the UK for violating the Obscene Publications Act.
Critical reception
The Quietus called the album "intense but still something you could call 'rock.'" Trouser Press called it an "exposition of versatile thrash jazz," writing that "each instrument occupies its own sonic terrain, combining in a sprawl of unanticipated death metal."
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Scud Attack" | 3:07 |
| 2. | "Deadly Obstacle Collage" | 0:21 |
| 3. | "Damage to the Mask" | 2:43 |
| 4. | "Guts of a Virgin" | 1:19 |
| 5. | "Handjob" | 0:10 |
| 6. | "Portent" | 4:00 |
| 7. | "Hostage" | 2:24 |
| 8. | "Lathe of God" | 0:56 |
| 9. | "Dr. Phibes" | 3:00 |
| 10. | "Purgatory of Fiery Vulvas" | 0:26 |
| 11. | "Warhead" | 1:12 |
| 12. | "Devil's Eye" | 4:37 |
Personnel
- John Zorn – alto saxophone, vocals
- Bill Laswell – bass
- Mick Harris – drums, vocals
Production
- Wes Naprstek – engineering
- Howie Weinberg – mastering
- Oz Fritz – mixing
- Lisa Wells – photography
- Tanaka Tomoyo, Anthony Lee – design
Publishing
- M.P.O – pressing
- Earache, Theater of Musical Optics, Nation Music – publishing
References
- Shteamer, Hank (June 22, 2020). "'He Made the World Bigger': Inside John Zorn's Jazz-Metal Multiverse". Rolling Stone.
- AllMusic album entry accessed July 22, 2011
- Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 877.
- Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 450.
- Jenkins, Todd S. (December 7, 2004). Free Jazz and Free Improvisation: An Encyclopedia. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313333149 – via Google Books.
- Hoffmann, Frank (November 12, 2004). Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound. Routledge. ISBN 9781135949501 – via Google Books.
- https://thequietus.com/interviews/mick-harris-interview-scorn-napalm-death/
- Potts, K. Sacred Dub: the music and projects of Bill Laswell website accessed July 16, 2008.
- "The Quietus | Reviews | Painkiller". The Quietus.
- "Painkiller". Trouser Press. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
| Painkiller | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | |
| Live albums | |
| Box sets | |
| Related articles | |