DEAD & BLOATED, You Don’t (1992, Colossal)

The skull:
Xs in the eyes are a visual trope of longstanding precedence to indicate deadness, but affixing them to a skull seems a rather redundant indulgence. The tentacles sprouting from the dome remind me of those ridiculous hats that Xtreme teenage snowboarders (and the guitarist from Panzerballett) are sometimes known to wear, and the entire design looks like it was crafted with an eye toward the band having to silkscreen it themselves. A rather slovenly cover overall, with a skull lacking in bigness but compensating with extra dumbness.

The music:
Quirky (at least aspirationally) crossover thrash recorded at least a couple years after that was even a marginally good idea. The bass plays an enjoyably prominent role in the mix, but the vocals are a terrible Mille-esque caterwaul, and the thin grooves and clunky riffs situate Dead & Bloated in the fourth-tier musical company of Ironchrist and Doomwatch.
– Friar Johnsen