That's How It Sounded In The Beginning

 

Flashback: London in the mid-1970s. Studded leather jackets and mohawks, Doc Martens boots and ripped jeans, safety pins and canned beer push the Empire to the brink of a national crisis. It all started with punk and the Sex Pistols, in whose orbit Susan Ballion—aka Siouxsie Sioux—also moved. And as was common back then, she, too, was convinced that she could make music with very little money. 

And indeed, in 1978 they released the single Hong Kong Garden, which immediately caused a stir. Not only did they slow down the tempo of punk, but they also gave it a much darker edge, which caught people’s attention.

That same year, they released their debut album, The Scream, which further explored this dark side. John McKay’s razor-sharp guitar, Budgie’s voodoo drums, and Siouxsie Sioux’s echoing vocals made this album a blueprint for many post-punk bands.

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Suburban Relaps

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Nicotine Stain

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Jigsaw Feeling

Sixes And Sevens

 

Earlier this week the news arrived that a new album by John McKay was released, McKay was the leading figure behind Siouxsie and the Banshees and co-author of most of their songs. He was responsible for the band's dark and dangerous guitar sound.

He left the band in 1979 after their second album in order to focus on his own music. During the following years he recorded various songs but he never released an album. The tapes were stored at his home until they were retrieved and remixed last year.

The result is a journey through time that catapults you back to the late 1970's. The music is a logical progression from The Scream, the masterpiece by Siouxsie and the Banshees. He has a talent of playing the guitar like no one else. Not a guitar slinger like many others because he brought chords and rhythm to a unique sound that influenced many other band in the following years.