Maggots: The Record

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Maggots: The Record
Studio album by Plasmatics
Released 1987
Recorded 1987
Genre Hardcore Punk
Thrash metal
Length 47:09
Label Profile Records
Producer Rod Swenson
Wes Beech
Professional reviews
Plasmatics chronology
Coup d'Etat (1982) Maggots: The Record (1987) Coup De Grace (2000)

Maggots: The Record is the fourth studio album released by punk / metal band The Plasmatics in 1987. The album was released as a special "9th Anniversary Album". Despite being called a "Plasmatics" album, it is often regarded as another Wendy O. Williams solo album, largely in part because her name is over that's of the band, the merchandise for the tour has the WOW logo from her solo career, and the only other original member is Web Beech on Rhythm Guitar.

Maggots: The Record was recorded in 1987 and is set 25 years in the future where environmental abuse and the burning of fossil fuels have created a greenhouse effect leads to an end of the world scenario. The album features various scenes of The White Family over the course of three days. The family is devoured while watching a TV game show. Valerie, the girlfriend of hot-shot television reporter Bruce is devoured by three massive maggots while lying in her boyfriend's bed. The final scene of the record shows the entire human population is headed for immanent annihilation. The album was released through Profile Records under the WOW label in the U.S. and overseas by GWR Records, which had been started by Motörhead's longtime Manager Doug Smith.

[edit] "Thrash metal opera"

Maggots: The Record is often credited as being the first "Thrash Metal Opera." This comes largely because of the album follows the rock opera formula done in a form of thrash metal. In this case, the album is more punk-based than metal based. Because of this, the album can also be seen as more of an evolution in the sound of Wendy as a solo artist then the next Plasmatics album. At the same time, considering the tone of Coup d'Etat, and can still be considered a true Plasmatics album.

Every other track on the album is spoken-word and is used to describe various scenes between songs. The central theme of the album is that a group of scientists trying to eliminate trash in the rivers and oceans develop a breed of maggot designed to eat the garbage and then, when the trash is gone, the maggot dies. Somehow, instead of dying, the maggots continue to eat and breed, growing larger with every cycle and becoming carnivorous. By the albums end, human beings are extinct and the maggots have taken over. Scientists and politicians are overheard discussing exactly what can be done, trying to calm the doomed populace.

[edit] Track listing

  1. Overture/ Introduction (Narrator)
  2. You're a Zombie
  3. The White's Apartment/The Full-Meal Diner
  4. Day of the Humans Is Gone
  5. Central Research Laboratory/Valerie and Bruce on the Phone
  6. Destroyers
  7. White's Apartment/Bruce's Bedroom
  8. Brain Dead
  9. White's Apartment/Bruce's Bedroom
  10. Propagators
  11. White's Bedroom/ Fire Escape
  12. Finale

[edit] Reception

Reception for the album is generally mixed. Many criticize the album as being nothing more than another solo album by Wendy O. Williams, while others have praise it for the more "rock opera" aspects and the song writing.

A review in Kerrang! gave the album 5 out of 5 Ks, "Quite simply a masterpiece... a work of genius." Wendy's vocals "reduces Celtic Frost's Tom G. Warrior's 'death grunts' to mere whimpers" it went on coupled with "a mixture of hedonistic operatic melodies..gut forged to some of the heaviest armadillo beats you're ever like to hear committed to vinyl."

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