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Title: traversing soundscapes
Review: This compliation of early Swans is a fine introduction to this band and their own signature sound that would prefigure all of the post-punk noise acts and industrial metal bands to come on the scene in the 1980's. The first disc contains the excellent studio album Filth which is only surpassed by the final track which is a gargantuan performance by the Swans at an early gig in the Kitchen in New York circa 1982. The second disc is a remarkable collection of out takes and life performances that defined the raw, primal and powerful sound of this benemouth of a band that could rarely be equalled in a live performance. Michael Gira's later incarnations of this outfit after Public Casturation in 87 would show a different musical progression and loose some of this bands most innovative qualities in the process
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