The Fall
Mark E. Smith's Prestwich vehicle for forty years, churning through sixty-six musicians while maintaining a singular vision of repetitive, confrontational, literate post-punk. Smith formed the band after seeing the Sex Pistols at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in 1976, wanting to combine 'primitive music with intelligent lyrics.' Ian Curtis cited the Fall in his final interview as one of the few new groups he admired, calling them 'mostly old Factory groups really.' Steve Hanley's circular basslines and the grinding, relentless rhythm of Karl Burns and Paul Hanley's two-drummer lineup on Hex Enduction Hour created a sound Smith called 'like a steamroller.' Thirty-one studio albums. Six Peel Sessions. Smith remained the sole constant member until his death in 2018.
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Hex Enduction Hour
Recorded in Iceland with two drummers—Karl Burns and Paul Hanley—creating a relentless rhythmic assault that Mark E. Smith called 'like a steamroller,' this album showcased the Fall at their most primitive and powerful. Steve Hanley's circular basslines provided the foundation for Smith's rambling, literate vocals exploring provincial England's decay and absurdity. The two-drummer lineup created a grinding, hypnotic rhythm that separated the Fall from their post-punk contemporaries. Smith formed the band after seeing the Sex Pistols at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in 1976, wanting to combine 'primitive music with intelligent lyrics.' Hex Enduction Hour achieved that vision completely—primitive, powerful, intelligent, uncompromising.