American Grave CD

Futurismo proudly present a vital compilation born in the shadows of American
punk; AMERICAN GRAVE Gothic Punk / Deathrock USA: 1978-1988, the third
volume in their Altered Vision anthology series.

American Grave has been co-curated by Wesley Eisold (Cold Cave/American
Nightmare/Heartworm Press) in collaboration with Futurismo head honcho
Del Jae, to bring you a haunting tracklist ranging from the all important integral
mainstays of the genre to those rarer and more elusive artists, including many
recordings that have never been reissued before on any format. Featuring the music
of Christian Death, T.S.O.L., The Cramps, Of A Mesh, The Gun Club, Twisted
Roots, Kommunity FK, The Brainz, Theatre Of Ice, Burning Image, Fur Bible,
PSI Com, Shadow Of Fear, Super Heroines, 45 Grave and more.

Drawing from darkest depths of the American spirit, American Grave is testament
to a subculture spawned from late night savagery, graveyard hangouts and suburban
isolation. Deathrock, post-punk, goth, whatever term you prefer, this compilation
showcases the sounds and aesthetics of a tarnished golden era, an underground
movement that took the DIY concepts of punk and the velocity of a burgeoning
hardcore scene and immersed it in echoes, distortion, tribal rhythms and macabre
vocals, thematically preying upon cult horror flicks, surrealism, and the manipulation
of religious iconography. Whilst the UK had a counterpart scene many would hail
as Goth, this was different, this was a truly American incarnation, a new breed of
youth haunted by the ghosts of old blues, garage and glam, bleak theatrical imagery
dressed up to evoke a response, smeared eyeliner, leather, bones…black. This was a
backlash against a culture in decay, bucking against a puritanical oppression brought
on by the archaic social standards set by their parents. It was aggression manifested
as gloom, it was a ceremony, the celebration of death.

The music on this compilation is reinstated further from a visual perspective by
an array of incredible images by famed punk photographer Edward Colver, and
lovingly designed to the level you would expect from a Futurismo release.