Sink

Given Foetus' eternally evolving and productive career, anything like a complete career overview — counting side projects, collaborations, and more besides — would probably take one heck of a box set. In terms of the '80s, though, this one-disc collection more than suffices. More or less arranged to have one track go right into the next, Sink skips about merrily from 1980 to 1989 and all points between, drawing some of the amazing highlights from Thirlwell's multi-named and multi-themed career. Kicking off with the noir hell of "Bedrock" from the Foetus All-Nude Revue release of that name — a long, sleaze-out number that mixes Tom Waits, Cab Calloway, and Foetus' own brand of aural hell — Sink burns with a vicious, relentless energy. If anything else it makes the case that Thirlwell was the solo industrial icon of the time, but one who never got anywhere near the level of attention Trent Reznor did in the '90s — ironic and sadly typical given the one's clear debt to the other. While a good half of the songs are familiar versions from earlier releases, there's a brace of rare or otherwise unreleased numbers, making Sink as much of interest to hardcore fans as neophytes. Happily, the quality of said rare tracks is consistently strong enough to ensure that the collection steers away from unevenness, focusing in on more quietly threatening moments as it does skullbashers. Highlights of the obscurities include the cinematic, moody instrumental collage "Lilith" and the equally chaotic but generally louder rant'n'rip "Anxiety Attack," done for Dutch radio. Add in such standouts of sheer entertaining pain as the raging "Ramrod" and "The Only Good Christian Is a Dead Christian," and about the only thing missing is a kitchen sink. A then complete discography, liner notes, and full lyric sheet make the whole thing total value for money.