Alien Sex Fiend 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, along with the appearance of their track "R.I.P." on the Batcave club compilation, The Batcave: Young Limbs and Numb Hymns 1983, released by London Records in 1983.
They signed to the Cherry Red sub-label Anagram Records, releasing their first single, "Ignore the Machine", in August 1983. The single was immediately successful on the UK Independent Chart, reaching No. 6. Their debut studio album, Who's Been Sleeping in My Brain, was released by Anagram on 1 November 1983, followed by Acid Bath in 1984. They released the world's first 11" single, "E.S.T. (Trip to the Moon)", that October.
The band also recorded two BBC Peel Sessions in 1984. At the May session, they recorded "Attack!!!", "Dead and Buried", "Ignore the Machine" and "Hee Haw"; at the August session, "In God We Trust", "E.S.T. (Trip to the Moon)" and "Boneshaker Baby".
In October 1985, their third studio 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 (No. 91) and a reissued "Ignore the Machine" in March 1985 (No. 99). Throughout the early 1980s, their work was frequently in the UK Indie Chart and remained a fixture on American college radio.
The band also became popular in Japan, and in 1985, they released a live album recorded there, Liquid Head in Tokyo. Freshwater left later in 1985, and the band continued as a trio, supporting Alice Cooper on his "The Nightmare Returns" tour in 1986 and releasing "It" the Album that October. The band was reduced to a duo of the Wades when James left following the release of 1987's Here Cum Germs.
In early 1988, the band, as the Dynamic Duo, recorded a one-off 12" single "Batman Theme" with recording and live engineer Len Davies, before continuing as Alien Sex Fiend, incorporating electronics and sampling even more into their sound on the album Another Planet, released in November 1988. They reverted to a four-piece with the 1989 addition of two prior guest collaborators, drummer/guitarist Andrew Wilson (a.k.a. Rat Fink Jr., formerly of the Turnpike Cruisers) and keyboardist/guitarist Simon "Doc" Milton, who made their official debut on that year's Too Much Acid? double-live album. Their seventh studio album, Curse, was released in October 1990.
Fink and Milton departed in 1992, following that year's Open Head Surgery album and its subsequent tour (documented on The Altered States of America live album).
The Wades then became a duo once again and provided the soundtrack for the Digital Image Design game Inferno in 1994.
In the mid 1990s, the band's video for "Zombified" appeared on the MTV show, Beavis and Butthead, subjected to their usual commentary.
In 1996, the Wades launched their own 13th Moon label, issuing three further albums: Nocturnal Emissions (1997), Information Overload (2004) and Death Trip (2010).
On 9 November 2018, Alien Sex Fiend released Possessed, their first album in eight years, on Cherry Red.
Music style
Alien Sex Fiend has been described as gothic rock, deathrock and industrial. Glenn Danzig has cited the group's sonorous and echoing sounds as having influenced the mixing for several of the recordings for his group Samhain.
Later projects
Fink published a book in 2000, Once Upon a Fiend, recalling his experiences in the band. He later drummed for Blackpool bands United States of Mind and Dog Food before joining Uncle Fester in 1999, who changed their name to UFX in 2006. Fink currently serves as frontman of Vince Ripper and the Rodent Show, a duo also featuring Vince "Ripper" Cornwall. They perform Alien Sex Fiend and the Cramps material, and have released two albums, It's Fun to Be a Monster and Boneyard a Go Go!!!.
Albums
Who's Been Sleeping in My Brain (1983)
Acid Bath (1984)
Maximum Security (1985)
"It" the Album (1986)
Here Cum Germs (1987)
Another Planet (1988)
Curse (1990)
Open Head Surgery (1992)
Inferno (1994)
Nocturnal Emissions (1997)
Information Overload (2004)
Death Trip (2010)
Possessed (2018)
Carcass
Alien Sex Fiend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
pickin' at ma bones
screamin' at each other
diggin' deep down...
into my soul
CARCASS
CARCASS
wiv her caustic remark
thru her agonized smile
down, down, down, down, down...
on this killin' floor
CARCASS
CARCASS
Expulsion from paradise
got shown the door
thru' her agonized smile
down, down, down, down, down...
on this killin' floor
CARCASS
yeah CARCASS
Circlin' over ma head
pickin' at ma bones
screamin' at each other
diggin' deep down...
into my soul
CARCASS
stinkin'
CARCASS
????????
CARCASS
The lyrics of Alien Sex Fiend's song "Carcass" portray a dark and unsettling atmosphere. The repetitive use of the word "carcass" creates a sense of decay and death that runs throughout the song. The opening lines, "Circlin' over ma head, pickin' at ma bones, screamin' at each other, diggin' deep down... into my soul," suggest a haunting presence that's constantly hovering above, tormenting the singer by metaphorically picking at their bones and delving into their innermost thoughts and emotions. It's as if there is something or someone relentlessly tearing away at their essence.
The introduction of the character "she" adds another layer to the narrative. The line "She never tires wiv her caustic remark" portrays a woman who constantly belittles and criticizes the singer. Through her fake smile, the pain is evident, and she continuously drags the singer down, symbolically represented as being on a "killin' floor." This could imply that she inflicts emotional harm and suffering on the singer, leaving them feeling trapped and helpless.
The line "Expulsion from paradise, got shown the door" suggests that the singer has been cast out from a state of bliss or happiness, possibly due to the actions and words of this female character. They have been banished from something they once considered paradise. The repetition of "down, down, down" reinforces the sense of falling deeper and deeper into despair and darkness, signifying that their circumstances have become increasingly dire.
The closing repetition of "CARCASS," along with the word "stinkin'," amplifies the decay and rot that permeate the lyrics. It serves as a final reminder of the torment and degradation the singer experiences. The inclusion of "???????" emphasizes the ambiguity and perhaps the incomprehensibility of their situation. It leaves the listener questioning the motives and origins of this tormenting force, ultimately adding to the mysterious and unsettling nature of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Circlin' over ma head
Continuously hovering above me
pickin' at ma bones
Constantly dissecting and scrutinizing me
screamin' at each other
Engaging in constant arguments
diggin' deep down... into my soul
Penetrating and exploring the depths of my inner self
CARCASS
Symbolizing the deterioration and decay of my being
CARCASS
Reiterating the metaphorical representation of my state
She never tires
She possesses endless energy
wiv her caustic remark
With her harsh and hurtful comments
thru her agonized smile
Despite the pain she conceals behind her smile
down, down, down, down, down...
Sinking deeper and deeper into negativity
on this killin' floor
In this destructive and oppressive environment
CARCASS
Persistently emphasizing the deterioration and decay
CARCASS
Continuing the metaphorical representation of my state
Expulsion from paradise
Being forced out of a blissful state
got shown the door
Being rejected and discarded
thru' her agonized smile
Despite the suffering she hides behind her smile
down, down, down, down, down...
Descending further and further into despair
on this killin' floor
Within this destructive and oppressive atmosphere
CARCASS
Continued emphasis on the degradation and decay
yeah CARCASS
Certainly emphasizing the symbolic deterioration
Circlin' over ma head
Persistently hovering above me
pickin' at ma bones
Relentlessly picking apart my very essence
screamin' at each other
Engaging in constant and intense arguments
diggin' deep down... into my soul
Delving even deeper into the core of my being
CARCASS
Signifying the rot and decay that encompasses me
stinkin' CARCASS
Highlighting the foulness and repulsiveness of my state
????????
Interpreted individually by the listener
CARCASS
Continuing the metaphorical representation
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd
Written by: C Wade, Milton, N Wade, Rowlands
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gabriel02071984
amazing....im absolute in love with this band...
@TeuluOwen
Love IT! Deserves multiple alternative mixes and would be great to hear live some day.
@steveduckworth6722
Nik always wrote tuneful little ditties π π
@TeuluOwen
Brilliant song on a great album π½
@darrencooper4251
This is is what it's all about ASF still rocking n rolling πβ π
@fh8769
Awesome. ASF still hitting hard.
@HungryForHeat
I'm still in love with, and think nothing of theirs will ever live up to "Too Much Acid". One of their biggest mistakes in not making a DVD of that live performance. It's an EPIC recording!! π€π» π β οΈ π½ πΎπ₯ π₯-"My rent is $65 a day. Yeh, that's the price that you pay!"
@silenceblue82
Amazing, Mr. Fiend! ππ¦π§ββοΈ
@hendoballs
Very entertaining video, sick song and a great album! Fanx ASF!
@christopherfox7539
another great song by Alien Sex Fiend. Cool video too