Formed in 1978, in the first blast of Texas punk, Terminal Mind sounds remarkably fresh and prescient today, more than three decades since the group splintered in the heat of the Lone Star sun. In its short, happy life, Terminal Mind recorded a series of catchy but aggressive songs that earned the group opening slots with Iggy Pop and drew comparisons to John Cale, Wire and Pere Ubu. A new collection, Recordings, features a rare four-song seven-inch single as well as previously unreleased studio ventures and material previously heard on the underground classic Live at Raul’s.
Listening to the clang and clamor of “Zombieland”, one can hear the skeleton of R.E.M. and other bands that crawled from the Athens scene. In “Sense of Rhythm” one can detect…
…influences similar to the unsung Kansas punks the Embarrassment, a burst of energy that’s somewhere between the garage and the Silver Factory. “Black” predicts much of Steve Albini’s bleakest sonic explorations while casting an ear to Manchester and the sounds of Joy Division and its ilk.
The group initially existed as a trio with Steve Marsh joining brothers Doug and Greg Murray, then added synthesizer maestro Jack Crow. Across the years, Marsh would be involved in Miracle Room and Evil Triplet while Doug Murray would become a member of the Skunks and his brother spent time with the Big Boys. (Crow passed in 1984.)