Shriekback - Mercy Dash (Arista)

Shriekback are one of those alternative dance bands you hear about. The alternative in this case being anything rather than wasting your time trying to hop about to this record. Perhaps Shriekback are challenging our ideas, restructuring our notion of the dance, drawing us up to a new aesthetic plain. Perhaps they just make dance records you can't dance to. (Paul Simper, No 1, November 17, 1984)

A murky but quite appealing muddle of sound that, with a more interesting voice intoning the rather wiggy lyrics, could have been a really good record. As it is, I can't see it doing much. (Dave Rimmer, Smash Hits, November 22, 1984)

Shriekback - Nemesis (Arista)

Shriekback have been knocking around on the periphery of rock for a good few years without achieving the success their talent deserves. They're interesting without being pretentious or obscure, and some of their rhythms are fab. Despite the gloomy name and dark lyrics "Nemesis" is fiercely cheerful. A dark comedy with a real dance beat. (Paul Bursche, No 1, June 1, 1985)

A very raucous record. Very hard to define this one - they don't quite sound like anything. It's sort of a footstomper with lyrics all about cannibals and the dead. Very jolly! (Simon O'Brien, Smash Hits, May 22, 1985)