D.O.A. The Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle by Throbbing Gristle

Performance art is always divisive - just look at the vitriol heaped on Yoko Ono (usually with some nasty misogyny and racism thrown in) by people who wouldn’t know a piece of art if it slapped them in the face with a wet halibut. This album traces a direct line from the Velvet Underground and Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music, as well as John and Yoko’s primal screams, through punk, experimental electronica and beyond.

It’s not an easy listen, and is highly disturbing in places, with some very dark themes and distorted sounds and cut-up sound clips. The surreal and nightmarish soundscapes are deliberately crafted to produce a visceral reaction. On other tracks, the electronica comes to the fore with prototypical beats that you could almost dance to, pointing the way to bands like Cabaret Voltaire and the Fall.

Is this good music? That’s for you to decide. Is it art? Most definitely.

Marmalade-in-your-face-tastic!