For all the advances that have been made in sound recording over the past few decades, you still can’t polish the proverbial turd. Conversely, a primitive live bootleg like this, which at times has all the sonic clarity of a windsock, still stirs the soul because of the sheer spirit imbued in the performances.
This early recording, pre-dating IB’s debut album Heavy, has a punkier, more menacing feel than their studio material, particularly on thrashy fare like Gentle As It May Seem. Elsewhere, you’re struck by the throbbing malevolence of the bass and the speedy, spidery organ psychedelics on Real Fright.
The distorted vocals may make lyrical analysis a waste of time, but the thundering portent of Possession and Evil Temptation is still breathtaking, and if your acid trip had taken a turn for the worse at this show it might well have sounded positively apocalyptic.
