I See Good Spirits & I See Bad Spirits

The first full-length album from the Groovie Mann and Buzz McCoy-led performance art/film/music collective My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, I See Good Spirits & I See Bad Spirits came out just after the group's self-titled EP in December of 1988. A somewhat mixed affair, this Wax Trax! offering still had an impact on house dancefloors and college radio play lists with its pulsing beats and nihilistic messages of religious and cultural waste and universal darkness. On tracks like "Gateway to Hell" and "...And Is What the Devil Does," Thrill Kill trademark ornaments like obscure film samples and sneering vocals establish what would become My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult's sonic calling card. While not quite as bold or successful as groundbreaking releases like Sexplosion! or Kooler Than Jesus, I See Good Spirits & I See Bad Spirits is nonetheless an important early release from one of the most respected and artistic quasi-industrial outfits of the '80s and '90s. [The 2004 reissue includes several bonus tracks, such as live versions of "Nervous Xians" and "X-Communication," as well as "Back From Beyond."] ~ Vincent Jeffries