Black Sunday: Malignancy - Intrauterine Cannibalism (1999)

A fan of Dismemberment almost since this blog's inception, I have been fortunate enough to get to know guitarist Jacob Shively along this journey from blog to label and have been intensely excited to see his own label, Goatlord Records, launch. Devoted to limited, special editions of classic metal records that have never before been released on vinyl, Goatlord's first release was Intrauterine Cannibalism, the infamous full-length debut of brutal death merchants Malignancy.

Stepping back from my admiration for Jacob and his work I can still honestly say that this vinyl debut from Goatlord Records is easily one of the richest offerings I have seen for a reissue of an underground record. Offered in three colors, this 12" platter was immediately marketed properly with the tones (each limited to 100) described as "Endometrial Slime" (green), "Intrauterine Red" (and red and black splatter) and "Womb with a View" (clear). With a limited number of very fairly priced three-packs available for pre-order I wasted no time securing my copies.

Opening the records, I was floored by the details.The colors of Juha Vuorma's cover illustration are staggeringly vibrant and also recreated on a 4x4" decal and 11x17 poster included inside each record. The posters themselves contain release information and album credits formatted like a movie poster and are hand-signed in gold ink by vocalist Danny Nelson and guitarist Ron Kachnic. One is currently being framed to hang in Gogmagogical Records HQ - they're that nice.

Also worthy of a frame is the vinyl itself. Pressed at Ohio's own Musicol, the discs are heavy and smooth and the colors vibrant. The "Endometrial Slime" is no simple "coke bottle" clear but carries tissue-like solid green flecks and streaks throughout. On the other hand, while true transparent clear vinyl itself may not be as exciting, it certainly is disappointing when it isn't clean. This isn't the case with the "Womb with a View" as it has zero residual traces of any past colors left on the press - it's like a crystal windowpane. Perfect. Finally, the "Intrauterine Red" is a magnificent black splatter pattern on an opaque red base and imparts the violence communicated by the record's title and lyrical themes. It's also worth adding that, when you finally get to playing Intrauterine Cannibalism, it sounds great, too (especially for an album whose own liner notes - from Danny Nelson - inform the listener that it has never been mastered).

The little details are what make Intrauterine Cannibalism on vinyl a grand slam. The two-sided insert is riddled with photos and poster reproductions. It also includes the aforementioned liner notes, providing a history of the album from its original release, and, alongside the lyrics, what appears to be Danny's original sketch for the record's jacket concept.

Finally, the vinyl fanatic is rewarded by the record's center labels. Screamingly funny warnings grace the perimeter of each and this package is topped off as a complete and utter success.

Click as fast as you can to Goatlord Records' online store. They're already hard at work on their next project and I have a feeling that, once Intrauterine Cannibalism has been devoured, those who missed out will suffer their own post fetal depression.