Agony Column

Within an era of homogenized metal bands and superficial glam rockers, self-described “hellbilly head-bangers” the Agony Column sliced through prevalent clichés just like a hot knife through butter; their quirky musical fusion of thrash metallic and Southern rock and roll conspiring having a penchant for wry laughter and self-mockery (all practically unheard of inside a metallic picture suffocated by its self-importance) to honor the “strange” trustworthiness of their hometown of Austin, Tx. With origins dating back again to 1985, the Agony Column was made up of vocalist Richie “Devil Poultry” Turner, guitarist Stuart “Bat Lord” Lawrence, bassist Pawl “Crow” Willis, and drummer Charlie “Crimson Wing Viper” Brownell — most of whom evidently kept Slayer, the Butthole Surfers, and Dark Oak Arkansas in similarly high esteem (Turner’s hoarse squawk, specifically, showed a big personal debt to Jim “Dandy” Mangrum). Although fledgling band’s 1st widely circulated demonstration, 1987’s Hellbilly Loss of life Metallic Onslaught, didn’t quite surpass its name (not really least because real death metallic evolved within an completely different path, years later on), these mix of fury and humor was already undamaged, and its tunes ultimately offered the backbone of 1989’s full-length debut, Gods, Weapons & Guts. Issue was, neither this nor 1990’s Shows up Alive EP (which presented a cover of Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen”) struck a chord using the metal-buying general public at large; so when 1991’s even more accomplished and exciting Brave Terms & Bloody Knuckles forced the songwriting envelope even more beyond thrash, people actually didn’t obtain it. This insufficient commercial achievement (crucial respect was by no means missing), compounded using the ascent of grunge, persuaded the Agony Column to consider a protracted break that they would just emerge five years later on, armed with another album named IN THE PAST within the Woods, which conceded nothing at all to mainstream conventions by once more placing alien musical affects, most notably nation. The music group, minus bassist Willis (who was simply changed by Billy Dansfield on that last album), has sometimes reconvened for the unusual concert or two over time, however the group and its own intriguing recorded result sadly continues to be the stuff of cult followings.