The Dirty (Baker's) Dozen 4: Repulsion

Repulsion
Horrified
Originally Necrosis Records (reissued by Relapse)
1986
These Michigan mutants – ne Genocide but later taking their name from a Roman Polanski film – burst from their maggot-infested coffins playing a blastbeat-laden concoction of proto-grind at a time when rotting maggots in your coffin was the sole province of Floridians in sweatpants and white high tops.
Weaned on a late night diet of Romero’s shambling horrors and Fulci’s shark punching monstrosities that would do Joe Bob Briggs proud, Repulsion’s speedy attack presaged Danny Boyle’s fleet footed horrors near two decades later.
In the 1980s Dave Lombardo reigned on drumming’s bloody throne, but it was another Dave – Dave “Grave” Hollingshead – who provided the propulsion for Repulsion, which slowly weaned itself from early Slayer/Possessed worship to something faster and far more aggressive. But unlike other grinders, Repulsion retained their squealy Slayer solos that rip through your skull like Abel Ferrara with a Makita.
Originally named Slaughter of the Innocent, the band’s lone album’s title was switched to Horrified when it was released by Necrosis Records (owned by the Carcass clan) in 1989.
Horrified’s necrotic DNA can be found in Carcass’ pathologies and soundalikes Cretin’s grotesqueries. Repulsion is the proud patriarch of a scene obsessed with festering zombies and exploding entrails. Hell, Jeff Walker just about owes his musical career to the skuzzy distorted bass that kicks off “Festering Boils.”
What else can you say about some of the greatest 29 minutes of grind ever set to vinyl? How about: Horrified. Fuck.