The Birthday Party - Prayers on Fire

It should come as no surprise that there is an album in Nick Cave's oeuvre called Prayers On Fire; a fascination with the dark, (self-)destructive side of religion is more than evident in his later work with The Bad Seeds. While there might not be any of the explicit Biblical imagery on Prayers On Fire that Cave would later ejaculate, the title of the album is apt, and its aptness is revealed almost immediately. Over the tribal thud of floor toms, shards of trebly guitar, the throb of an organ, and even a creepily out-of-place trumpet come the possessed, chant-like vocals -- not an incantation to any god, but to "Zoo-Music Girl." It's the religion of depraved sexuality, bestial urges, and sadomasochism. Read More