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 Is What the Devil Does,"
Thrill Kill
trademark ornaments like obscure film samples and sneering vocals establish what would become
's sonic calling card. While not quite as bold or successful as groundbreaking releases like
Sexplosion!
or
Kooler Than Jesus
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"
"X-Communication,"
as well as
"Back From Beyond."
] ~ Vincent Jeffries