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)
Mine's Full of Maggots
Alien Sex Fiend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't get down...cos i...ain't got no time!
An election...based on a set of teeth...
You eat chicken! while i eat...beef...
I'll put the icing... on the top of the cake...
I'll be playing all my favourite records....
While... you... lay... awake...
Mines full of maggots
It'll bring you down, down to your knees...
Cos...life's just a big c h e e s e!!
Just a carcass...on a dusty track....
A real dark horse... behind the veil...
A reincarnation...sing praise to the lord!
Just an old man's story in the book of life....
Do you take this man,
To be your lawful wedded wife ??
Mr cheque book... wiv the money tree.. he's bought you..
But he can't buy me...
Up in the clouds...flying so high...
Feet on the floor...
Head... in the sky!
It's 8 am and i've gotta go...is this real life or 10 foot of snow ???
Mines full of maggots.......
Lights shine... so does the sun... if you can't talk to me...
Talk to my gun....
Mines full of maggots
Mines full of disease
It will bring you down
Down
Down to your knees
Cos
Life's
Just
A big c h e e s e!
The lyrics of "Mine's Full of Maggots" by Alien Sex Fiend are cryptic and metaphorical. The song seems to touch on several themes, including existentialism, social commentary, and personal experience.
The first lines of the song, "Rocking in the swampland...waiting for a mainline... I can't get down...cos I...ain't got no time!" may suggest the feeling of being stuck or trapped in a certain aspect of one's life, feeling like there is no escape. The mention of an election based on a person's teeth may refer to the superficiality and shallowness of society, where appearance often takes precedence over substance.
The chorus, "Mines full of maggots, mines full of disease, it'll bring you down, down to your knees...cos...life's just a big cheese!" seems to convey a sense of hopelessness and despair. The portrayal of life as a "big cheese" may signify how meaningless or trivial it can seem at times.
The next few verses of the song weave various images and ideas together, making it difficult to discern a clear narrative. The lines "Just a carcass...on a dusty track...A real dark horse... behind the veil...A reincarnation...sing praise to the lord! Just an old man's story in the book of life..." evoke thoughts of mortality, the unknown, and spirituality.
In the final lines of the song, "Lights shine... so does the sun... if you can't talk to me...Talk to my gun... Mines full of maggots...Mines full of disease... It will bring you down... Down... Down to your knees... Cos life's just a big cheese!", the use of violent imagery, such as "talk to my gun", may represent a sense of frustration or anger with the state of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Rocking in the swampland...waiting for a mainline...
I'm struggling in a difficult situation and waiting for a significant opportunity to improve it.
I can't get down...cos i...ain't got no time!
I'm too busy to take a break and relax.
An election...based on a set of teeth...
The system is superficial and not based on meaningful qualities.
You eat chicken! while i eat...beef...
We have different tastes and preferences.
I'll put the icing... on the top of the cake...
I'll add something extra and special to improve the situation.
I'll be playing all my favourite records....
I'll do what I enjoy and what makes me happy.
While... you... lay... awake...
You're worrying and stressing while I'm relaxed and happy.
Mines full of maggots
My life is filled with negativity and decay.
Mines full of disease
My life is unhealthy and toxic.
It'll bring you down, down to your knees...
The negative aspects of my life will overwhelm and defeat you.
Cos...life's just a big c h e e s e!!
Life is meaningless and trivial.
Just a carcass...on a dusty track....
I feel abandoned and forgotten in a desolate place.
A real dark horse... behind the veil...
There is a hidden side to me that others don't know.
A reincarnation...sing praise to the lord!
There is a spiritual aspect to my existence.
Just an old man's story in the book of life....
My life is insignificant and unremarkable in the grand scheme of things.
Do you take this man,
Will you commit to me?
To be your lawful wedded wife ??
To be your partner and share a life together?
Mr cheque book... wiv the money tree.. he's bought you..
Your partner is only with you because of their wealth and status.
But he can't buy me...
I value true connections and experiences over material possessions.
Up in the clouds...flying so high...
I feel elated and euphoric.
Feet on the floor...
But at the same time, I am grounded and practical.
Head... in the sky!
I have big dreams and aspirations.
It's 8 am and i've gotta go...is this real life or 10 foot of snow ???
I'm questioning whether my life is real or a difficult and surreal challenge.
Lights shine... so does the sun... if you can't talk to me...Talk to my gun....
I am powerful and intimidating, and will not tolerate disrespect or disobedience.
Mines full of maggots
My life is filled with negativity and decay.
Mines full of disease
My life is unhealthy and toxic.
It will bring you down Down Down to your knees
The negative aspects of my life will overwhelm and defeat you.
Cos Life's Just A Big C h e e s e!
Life is meaningless and trivial.
Contributed by Jackson C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.