YEARS OF STRUGGLE AGAINST THE LIES, THE STUPIDITY AND THE COWARDICE
PESTEG DRED
MC
AUGUST 1985
ATLAS (#1)
The Pesteg Dred album Years of Struggle against the Lies, the Stupidity and the Cowardice was recorded by an 18-year-old Martin Hall alongside vocalist Inge Shannon and guitarist, noisemaker and co-producer Per Hendrichsen in December 1981. Due to economical hardship the title wasn’t released until the summer of 1985 where it featured as a bonus music cassette included in the first edition of the Danish art magazine Atlas.
In the autumn of 2010 a limited vinyl edition of Years of Struggle against the Lies, the Stupidity and the Cowardice was released in the United States, receiving great international acclaim. At the same time the album was released as a cd with the SS-Say 12”-single Fusion from 1985 added as bonus material under the title I Have Seen You through the Years, Worn by Different Faces (SS-Say also featured Inge Shannon on vocals).
1. Salt (4:14)
2. Untitled (Postcards and Reasons) (3:54)
3. Superior (4:21)
4. Impressions (5:01)
5. Light, More Light (11:23)
6. Untitled (5:51)
7. Almost (2:59)
“Martin Hall appears to be the figure who defined the Danish New Wave scene. We’ve never heard of any of Hall’s other projects, but if any were half as good as Pesteg Dred, they’d be worth the price of admission. Death disco? You bet!
Dark Entries scores yet again with a really great re-discovery on Pested Dred.“
Aquarius (November 2010)
“Industrial solitude pours forth in a haunted Kirlian Camera style work of lonesome isolation. The album progresses along sepulchral darkwave lines. Desperation cascades over angst, with vocals of Inge Shannon eclipsing all … I don’t know where Dark Entries scare up these obscurities, I only know I’m glad that they do.“
Igloo Magazine – Robbie Geoghegan (November 2010)
”Years of Struggleis a hitherto rarely heard album that exemplified the black-hole nihilism and hostile theatrics found in the abstractionist fractions of the post-punk movement. After this sole Pesteg Dred recording Hall formed a number of darkwave projects in Denmark with considerable aplomb, but the innovation coupled with the claustrophobia of Years of Struggle is so strong that I have to wonder where Pesteg Dred might have gone if they had had the opportunity back in the day.“
The Wire – Jim Haynes (January 2011)
“Uncompromising seriousness and unfettered urgency … It’s kinda easy to become blasé with so many ****wave reissues around, but this is simply one of the most essential we’ve stumbled upon.“
Boomkat (January 2011)
“Immerses you into another world immediately.”
Sideline Music Magazine (February 2011)
Inge Shannon: Vocals
Martin Hall: Drums, keyboards, piano, bass, cello, violin, percussion, autoharp
Per Hendrichsen: Treatments, keyboards, guitar
Design: Martin Hall
The original Pesteg Dred album was recorded at Karma, December 1981.
