Hmmm... I like this, but if you’re curious about the Testors, then check out the album on Swami first, since it offers studio recordings. What’s on here are two live recordings (from 1978) that have a murky sound quality. It’s not horrible, but it doesn’t have the same blazing fire as the studio recordings. This stuff is pretty raw, and some of the low end is lost in the process. That said, the songs that are on here are pretty damn good. The previously unreleased “Drac” recounts the dilemma of being the Prince of Darkness and being on the run. The farfisa pushes this song over the edge and gives it the creature feature atmosphere. It’s definitely my favorite of the record. The B side is “It’s Only Death” and the version on here is exclusive to this release. The urgency is intact and may be more so due to this being a live performance. Plus the lyrics to this song, fuggin’ primo stuff—”You see I’m losing my heart, I’m losing my soul, I gotta keep the damn thing under control/ But I need a cigarette because I cancelled my mind”. Whoa! And, yep, the comparisons to the Dead Boys are accurate, but there’s a little more bluesy Heartbreakers style in there as well. Only 1,000 of these records are on the face of the planet.
–M.Avrg (Windian)