Maggots: The Record
Encyclopedia
Maggots: The Record is the fourth and final 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 of the band, the merchandise for the tour has the WOW logo from her solo career, and the only other original member is Wes Beech on rhythm guitar.
Maggots: The Record was recorded in 1987 and is a concept album
set 25 years in the future, where environmental abuse and the burning of fossil fuels have created a greenhouse effect
, leading 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 imminent 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
.
formula done in a form of thrash metal
.
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. Melting glaciers bring floods that carry the maggots into contact with land creatures. The genetically engineered maggots continue to eat and breed, growing larger with every cycle. By the album's 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.
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."
Plasmatics
The Plasmatics were an American heavy metal and punk band formed by Yale University art school graduate Rod Swenson with Wendy O. Williams. The band was a controversial group known for wild live shows that broke countless taboos...
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
Wendy O. Williams
Wendy Orlean Williams , better known as Wendy O. Williams, was the lead singer for the American punk band the Plasmatics, as well as a solo artist...
solo album, largely in part because her name is over that of the band, the merchandise for the tour has the WOW logo from her solo career, and the only other original member is Wes Beech on rhythm guitar.
Maggots: The Record was recorded in 1987 and is a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
set 25 years in the future, where environmental abuse and the burning of fossil fuels have created a greenhouse effect
Greenhouse effect
The greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated in all directions. Since part of this re-radiation is back towards the surface, energy is transferred to the surface and the lower atmosphere...
, leading 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 imminent annihilation. The album was released through Profile Records
Profile Records
Profile Records was a record label that specialized in many types of urban-oriented music, such as hip hop, active until 1996..- History :In 1980, at 23 years old, after working briefly for MCA, Cory Robbins was looking to start a record label. He invited his songwriter friend Steve Plotnicki to be...
under the WOW label in the U.S. and overseas by GWR Records
GWR Records
GWR Records was a record label active in the UK from 1986 through to 1991.By 1984, Gerry Bron's Bronze Records were in financial difficulty leading to a hiatus in recording activity for Motörhead...
, which had been started by Motörhead's longtime Manager Doug Smith
Doug Smith
Doug Smith may refer to:*Doug Smith , former MLB baseball player*Doug Smith , English flat racing jockey*Doug Smith , American former basketball player...
.
"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 operaRock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
formula done in a form of thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
.
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
Maggot
In everyday speech the word maggot means the larva of a fly ; it is applied in particular to the larvae of Brachyceran flies, such as houseflies, cheese flies, and blowflies, rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and Crane flies...
designed to eat the garbage and then, when the trash is gone, the maggot dies. Melting glaciers bring floods that carry the maggots into contact with land creatures. The genetically engineered maggots continue to eat and breed, growing larger with every cycle. By the album's 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.
Track listing
- "Overture/ Introduction" (Narrator)
- "You're a Zombie"
- "The White's Apartment/The Full-Meal Diner"
- "Day of the Humans Is Gone"
- "Central Research Laboratory/Valerie and Bruce on the Phone"
- "Destroyers"
- "White's Apartment/Bruce's Bedroom I"
- "Brain Dead"
- "White's Apartment/Bruce's Bedroom II"
- "Propagators"
- "White's Bedroom/ Fire Escape"
- "Finale"
Reception
A review in Kerrang!Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
gave the album 5 out of 5 Ks, "Quite simply a masterpiece... a work of genius." Wendy's vocals "reduces Celtic Frost's
Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost was a metal band from Zürich, Switzerland. They are known for their heavy influence on the extreme metal genres. The group was first active from 1984 to 1993, and re-formed in 2001. Following Tom Gabriel Fischer's departure in 2008, Celtic Frost decided to break up again...
Tom G. Warrior
Thomas Gabriel Fischer
Thomas Gabriel Fischer , earlier known by his stage name of "Tom Gabriel Warrior", is a Swiss singer and guitarist. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of the death metal style of singing or growling. Together with Bruce Day and Steve Warrior he formed the seminal metal band Hellhammer in...
'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."