Solid Gold Hell...

Formed partly from the ashes of New Zealand noise makers S.P.U.D. (one day I’ll get to them too), Solid Gold Hell belted out equally noisy tunes however with a bit more emphasis on blues and bar rock swagger. As much as I dislike trying to describe a band by mentioning another band, they do often get compared to Killdozer, which ultimately fits them well. I really can’t argue with that one. The vocals from Glen Campbell are even at times sound somewhat similar, however Campbell could just as easily jump from sounding like a gravely lifelong smoker to mumblings and shrieks of a mental ward patient. Needless to say Campbell played a large part into creating the eerie image that Solid Gold Hell aimed to present. All of it was put to a backdrop of lumbering guitar noise and occasional squalls from a horn. It’s done rather well and for fans of scuzzy alcohol tinged rock, you could do a whole lot worse than Solid Gold Hell and their slightly baroque styled noise-rock.

While they were together they released two albums through Flying Nun. Their first being Swingin’ Hot Murder in 1994 and then their follow up 1996’s excellent The Blood and the Pity. If you happen to run across either of these, definitely pick them up…they are well worth the bargain bin price that they probably end up in sadly.

Swingin’ Hot Murder:
Solid Gold Hell – Hot Murder [MP3]
Solid Gold Hell – The Bid Tease [MP3]

The Blood and the Pity:
Solid Gold Hell – The Country Sow [MP3]
Solid Gold Hell – Motel Hell [MP3]

You can find used copies of Swingin’ Hot Murder online fairly easily online; trying Amazon is a safe bet. You can also find The Blood and the Pity on there, but it’s a bit pricey. I am sure a bit more intensive searching can turn up some cheaper copies on other sites or even eBay if someone wants to take that route. Either way, definitely grab these if possible. Good stuff all around.