The Jesus Lizard — Down [reissue]

Down marked the end of an era for The Jesus Lizard.

With their profile at its arguable height, it was the last album the group would record for Touch And Go before they signed with major label Capitol Records. It was also the last time they would work with Steve Albini, who reportedly severed ties with the band following their defection to Capitol.

Curiously, Down was released in 1993, the same year as Nirvana's In Utero, who were signed to DGC. The latter album was produced by Albini and was remarkably similar in it's sonic assault to the other Albini-produced Jesus Lizard albums.

Like the rest of The Jesus Lizard's Touch And Go records, there was a less of a sonic shift with Down than a further streamlining of the band's sound. This sonic consistency has somewhat hampered their legacy with no single album to rally around, and their abrasive sound and deep catalogue leaves no entry point for the uninitiated.

Four bonus tracks are once again tacked onto the end of the record. They include "Fly On The Wall" B-side "White Hole" and "Glamourous" and "Deaf As A Bat," the two studio tracks from the 1992 Lash EP as well as "Panic In Cicero," their contribution to the Clerks soundtrack.

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