Religious Overdose are in retrospect a really overlooked yet important post punk band from Barby just outside of Rugby and featuring Alex Novak of Attrition and Venus Fly Trap infamy, The legendary Richard Formby of The Jazz Butcher, In Embrace and Spectrum among others, Dave Hynes, Ady Tilly, Pete Brownjohn, Alaric Neville of The Bridewells and Filipe Figuera. They originally put out 3 singles on Glass records that have been compiled and re-issued by Optic Nerve Recordings
Side One of this retrospective opens with Control Addicts an acid drenched psych garage song about well Control Addicts, the vocals are way back in the mix as the guitar figure keeps repeating and repeating to get a good drone going from the bass and drums.
25 Minutes is full of dread and despair for what will happen after 25 minutes on the train. This has the repetitive echo laden droning garage space rock thing going on.
I Said Go appears to have everyone in the band singing or adding vocal effects to this song that lets you know I Said Go in no uncertain terms with a 60's pebbles type feel to it.
Alien To You is slow spoken word post punk dubby derangement as we find out just how Alien To You he really is.
The B-side opens with Blow The Back Off It that sounds a lot like Steady Eddie Steady by Fashion in places, but this has a manic urgency to its acid fried tune.
In This century is of course now in the last century and has a long-bowed intro before it comes on like a darker Joy Division on a mission to seek out the gloom in a darkened room. This could easily be turned into a goth dancefloor filler in a Bauhaus or Sisters kind of way.
The album closes with Girl With The Disappearing Head that has deranged keyboards a good repeating riff, lots of strange noises and off beat drumming, as the songs title repeats over and over and the vocals almost sound a bit Mark E Smith style nonchalant and droll.
Find out more at https://opticnerverecordings.com/products/religious-overdose-strung-out-on-heavens-high-1980-1982-lp?variant=40730492993647 https://www.facebook.com/Religious-Overdose-1685036421734789
