Michael Draine's Twisted Vista
Massacre
Killing Time
(ReR)
Concussive. Staccato. Ear-shredding. The
ultimate avant-garde power trio. Intended as
a one-off released by Celluloid in 1981,
Massacre’s Killing Time remains one of the
most unforgettable recordings of the early
‘80s. Upon the original LP release, a Boston
Phoenix critic compared Massacre to
Mission of Burma playing Henry Cow charts.
The Burma reference remains current 25
years later, and Dr. Nerve and Bone
have built on the scorched earth left by
Massacre. The album remains Frith’s most
savage attack on the electric guitar,
with formidable support from bassist Bill
Laswell and drummer Fred Maher. Howls,
chirps, ‘50s sci-fi sounds, and metallic
riffing unheard elsewhere in the Frith
catalog are flawlessly integrated into		Music Review Index
the trio. Laswell only occasionally reverts
to the offensive belching the later
distinguished his pallid funk. Brief notes
detailing that Massacre made their debut on		Twisted Cinema
Valentine’s Day opening for Peter Blegvad in
New York clarify cryptic comments on the
original sleeve. Two previously unreleased
cuts, five bonus tracks from the earlier
CD issue, and Gravity’s "Conversations With
White Arc" render this 64min. razor-sharp
remaster the definitive document of the pre-
1998 reunion Massacre. While the original
Massacre’s final gig took place at the
Whiskey-a-Go-Go in 1981, Frith, Laswell, and
Anton Fier played Massacre material as
the Golden Palominos in early 1985. The
players never overpower or compete with each		original LP cover
other, occasionally slowing to provide open
spaces. The previously unreleased, heavily
reworked "FBI" TV theme is the closest
Massacre ever strayed to the "art-surf" the
group was tagged with for lack of any
generic reference points. Killing Time
remains a sublime example of collective
improvisation, a marriage of the musical
legacy of Rock In Opposition and the fresh,
frantic energy of the emerging NY Downtown
scene.
Michael Draine
www.rerusa.com