Matador Records announces first round of Butthole Surfers reissues, due in March

Last year, Matador Records announced it would be reissuing the classic catalog of The Butthole Surfers, and today the first titles in the series have been revealed. On March 22, Matador is releasing Psychic…Powerless…Another Man’s Sac, Rembrandt Pussyhorse and PCPEP on vinyl. All three albums are now available on streaming services. Hear them below.

In an essay accompanying the announcement, veteran music critic Byron Coley said, “The early-mid ’80s had their share of insane combos – The Birthday Party, Black Flag and Minor Threat had the raw power to melt your mind in seconds. SWANS, Einsturzende Neubauten and Big Black created enough overwhelming sonic pressure their sounds might actually flatten you. And Sonic Youth displayed such a dizzyingly unpredictable mix of art, pop culture and violence you’d sometimes leave their shows drooling. The Buttholes shared elements with all of these groups, but added a wild psychedelic edge and a propensity for bizarre spectacle. 

“By the time they started touring to preview and then support the revamped version of ‘Psychic…Powerless…Another Man’s Sac’, the Buttholes’ live show was an berserk, evolving extravaganza of strobes, smoke, clothespins, naked dancing, bullhorns, raving lunacy and music that was as madly mind-blowing as that of any band who ever lived. ‘Another Man’s Sac’ was also wildly advanced over the previous records. Parts of the LP swaddled their punk edge inside so much oink and babble you almost couldn’t discern it, with other segments stretching out into a mutant form of garage blues, and others just swirling out of control.”

The Butthole Surfers’ Locust Abortion Technician is featured on our list of 10 Essential Austin Albums.