The Flesh Volcano was a side project of singer Marc Almond and Clint Ruin. Their sole release was the Slut 12”EP, which was expanded to album length in a number of poor arsed CD reissues during the 90’s. However, only the first three songs on the CD reissues represent that actual pairing, being the original Flesh Volcano tracks. Initially released in February 1988 the three tracks were recorded April 1984 and September 1986.
Almond and Ruin were formerly bandmates in The Immaculate Consumptive, and although Almond is credited for lyrics and vocals; Ruin is credited for music, instruments, direction, and production. While both musicians share a fascination with the seamy side of urban life, they're not musically compatible, since Ruin favours noise and Almond favours camp. Slut is a re-edited version, with Almond’s vocals, of SFOTW’s Smut from the Ramrod 12″, or vice-versa. On side 2 the tracks are the 45 RPM versions, and in this form Bruisin Chain is a re-edited vocal version of the Foetus All-Nude Revue, Rattlesnake Insurance, and The Universal Cesspool is a vocal version of the first half of Diabolus In Musica, from the Bedrock 12” release (the second half being used on the soundtrack to Lydia Lunch’s The Gun Is Loaded video).
Flesh Volcano is essentially nothing more or less than Clint Ruin at his most industrial and clattering with Marc Almond at his most theatrically pained and howling; great if you want it, but not as earth-shattering as you might hope.