Dead C scrolls a list of unrelenting tunes

Spencer Patterson

Friday, June 4, 2004 | 9 a.m.

The cover artwork for the Dead C's 1992 album "Harsh 70s Reality" speaks volumes about the music housed inside.

The jagged black-and-white lines practically scream out adjectives such as "abrasive," "jarring" and "bleak," fitting descriptors also for the New Zealand trio's noisy, drone-rock sounds.

Opening track "Driver UFO," for example, is a grating 23-minute exercise. It crawls along slowly, as dissonant guitar tones mix with ghostly keyboard fills to create an unrelenting listening experience.

The piece could serve as a sort of medieval torture device for the pop inclined, or perhaps as a soundtrack for a silent film documenting the mating rituals of black widows.

Why then, would anyone make a conscious choice to spin the disc (to say nothing of including it in a weekly series of recommended albums)?

I've wondered that myself even as I've returned to "Harsh 70s Reality" time and time again over the years.

The only conclusion I can reach is that the CD serves a unique purpose. Nothing else in my collection creates quite as grim or desperate an atmosphere.

Ideal for the wee hours of the morn after a long day, "Harsh 70s Reality" is as tough as anything the Stooges recorded and heavier than any metal I've ever heard.

"I've got dirt stuck to my soul," vocalist Michael Morley half-whispers, half-growls during the hypnotic "Baseheart," and you can't help but believe he's telling the truth.

Chock full of chaotic feedback and buried lyrics, the album is decidedly lo-fi. And just when you begin to detect a melody on the terrific "Love," the Dead C follows it up with the assaulting, aptly titled "Suffer Bomb Damage."

Other tracks sound as if they might have been recorded during impromptu live performances ("Sea is Violet") or dreamy, free-form jam sessions ("Hope").

Be forewarned: Many of the Dead C's recordings come in and out of print, while others were only released on vinyl and remain nearly impossible to find.

You'll likely have to go online to track down "Harsh 70s Reality," but that's half the fun anyway. Come to think of it, that may be the only fun aspect to an otherwise deadly serious musical statement.

Artist: The Dead C.

Title: "Harsh 70s Reality."

Year of release: 1992 (Siltbreeze Records).

Tracklisting: "Driver UFO," "Sky," "Love," "Suffer Bomb Damage," "Sea is Violet," "Constellation," "Baseheart," "Hope."