Severed Heads

About

Severed Heads emerged from the subterranean soundscape of Australia in 1979, crafting a mechanical blend of synth-driven melodies and avant-garde soundscapes. Tom Ellard, alongside Richard Fielding and Garry Bradbury, sculpted an industrial aesthetic through relentless tape manipulation and experimental video art. Releases like "Adenoids 1977-1985," pressed on VINYL ON DEMAND, capture their formative years of sonic evolution. The band's output spans across numerous formats—magazines, cassettes, posters—reflecting their deep-seated roots in the underground. Their work with Terse Tapes and Nettwerk Productions underscores a penchant for dystopian innovation, with "Come Visit The Big Bigot" (1986) and "Twenty Deadly Diseases" (1986) standing as key entries in their catalog. Severed Heads operated in a metronomic rhythm, their sound a functional machinery of the Australian industrial scene. Collaborations with contemporaries like Skinny Puppy, evidenced by the "Dig It Bigot" tour, situated them firmly within the global network of experimental music. This collective disbanded in 2008, leaving behind a legacy etched in vinyl and magnetic tape. Their auditory explorations remain a cornerstone of industrial music, a testament to their relentless pursuit of avant-garde expression.