The AMEBIX are not a thrash band, but they're not wimps either. Their music is a blend of tense drama and plodding seriousness which gives me a feeling of impending doom. With its great production, distinctiveness, and angst, I think this 12" is the best thing they've ever done. "Progress" and the title song are exceptional tracks.
Maximum Rocknroll #10, 1983
AMEBIX released No Sanctuary on this day in 1983.
Our music is totally us. We don't try to attain any sort of sound, it just happens. We play to the very limits of our technical ability, for instance, my being a guitarist. I can't play chords or any traditional rock 'n' roll styles because I taught myself how to play withno guidance or tutoring from anyone ever, which means you have to make up your own style of music from the beginning. That's why everything we play is very basic, but we try and make it abit interesting as well. I personally consider myself to be one of the most untalented guitarists ever, but when everyone's playing as well, it doesn't sound that bad. We don't set out to sound weird or eerie, its just our music. If people consider it depressing, its up tothem, but it seems to be fairly optimistic music to me. But then again, we are very depressing people anyway. Everything influences me, everybody influences me, but mainly I influence myselfthrough drug abuse and just sitting down and thinking (usually on the bog).
Stig / Amebix interview, Maximum Rocknroll #13, 1984
Unfortunately, a few of our songs have been misinterpreted. People think "Sunshine Ward" is a dig at glue sniffers [line unreadable]... how we live and asking people if they want to carry on in that way. "Battery Humans" was designed to make people feel revolted, just because its about humans instead of animals. It's a test of morality in a way. My songwriting is often inspired by conversations within our band, and everybody puts forward suggestions now and again. As far as who are we trying to get through to, well basically as many people as possible, we want to play to all spectrums of society, as most bands these days are just preaching to the converted instead of trying to get through to the rest of the world. If you feel you have a valid message to put across, then surely you should tell everyone and leave them to make what they can of it.
Aphid / Amebix interview, Maximum Rocknroll #13, 1984
You do your work the best you can and someday it will surface.
Dmitri Baltermants
The cover image is a section of a 1942 photograph by Dmitri Baltermants taken in recently liberated Kerch, Crimea.
They drove out whole families—women, the elderly, children. They drove all of them to an antitank ditch and shot them.
Dmitri Baltermants
