ALIEN SEX FIEND – SMELLS LIKE… 12″ – EXC+ 1986 PUNK GOTH

Alien Sex Fiend – Smells Like…
(Anagram Records  1986   12ANA32)
Matrix No’s: A1/B1

Vinyl in Excellent+ condition
(there are some surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality apart from some light pops/crackles)

Sleeve in Very Good+ condition
– some damage to bottom left corner with small part torn away

Alien Sex Fiend is a deathrock band from the UK, composed of the married couple Nik Fiend (Nik Wade) and Mrs. Fiend (Christine Wade). Currently, the band is based in Cardiff, Wales.

Formed in late 1982 at the Batcave club in London (where Nik worked) by the Wades along with David James (aka Yaxi Highrizer, guitar) and Johnny “Ha Ha” Freshwater (drums), the band became known in the gothic scene for its psychobilly, dark electronic, industrial sound, heavy samples and loops and manic vocals. Wade had previously been a member of the Alice Cooper-influenced bands The Earwigs and Mr. & Mrs. Demeanour, and later the punk band Demon Preachers (later known as The Demons). They recorded a cassette (The Lewd, The Mad, the Ugly and Old Nick) with Youth of Killing Joke, which brought them to the attention of the UK music press. They signed to Cherry Red label Anagram Records, releasing their first single, “Ignore The Machine” in August 1983. The band was immediately successful on the UK Independent Chart with this single reaching number six and a further eleven singles and five albums reaching top-twenty positions in the chart in the period up to 1987. The band also became popular in Japan and in 1985 released a live album recorded there. Freshwater left in 1985, the band continuing as a three-piece and supporting Alice Cooper on his The Nightmare Returns tour in 1986. The band was reduced to a duo of the Wades in 1988 after James left. They recorded a one-off single as The Dynamic Duo along with Recording and live engineer Len Davies before continuing as Alien Sex Fiend, using electronics and sampling more as part of their sound. They reverted to a four-piece with the addition of Rat Fink Jr. (drums and guitar) and Doc Milton (keyboards). Following the departure of Milton and Fink (the latter going on to play drums in UFX and Starfish), the Wades became a duo once again and launched their own 13th Moon label in 1996.

The band has had limited mainstream success in the UK; in October 1985, its album Maximum Security reached No. 100 on the UK Albums Chart and remained there for the week of 12 October. They also had two top-100 singles, with “Dead and Buried” in August 1984 (#91) and a reissued “Ignore the Machine” in March 1985 (#99). However, throughout the early 1980s their work was frequently in the UK Indie Chart and remained a fixture on college radio.

The band recorded two BBC Peel Sessions in 1984. In May, they recorded “Attack!!!”, “Dead And Buried”, “Ignore The Machine” and “Hee Haw”; in August “In God We Trust”, “E.S.T Trip To The Moon” and “Boneshaker Baby”.

The band released the world’s first 11″ single, “E.S.T. (Trip To The Moon)” in October 1984. Their video for “Now I’m Feeling Zombified” was featured on an episode of the MTV animated series Beavis & Butt-head. The band also provided the soundtrack for the Digital Image Design game Inferno.

The band produced its own publication, the Fiendzine.

Tracklist