The group's debut single, "Marry Me (Lie! Lie!)", was issued in September 1987. Melody Maker's reviewer asked "What possesses Rowland Howard when he writes an immaculate piece of music, something that might have qualified as the score for Romero's next film?... what spirit galvanizes this frail young man to bugger it all up by singing?" and then answered "It's arrogance. Punishable arrogance... in his black hole of insensitivity, he goes on to ruin the hard work of others." A 12" extended play version, 'Marry Me', with three tracks was reviewed by AllMusic's Dean McFarlane "while the EP is astonishing, it is merely a hint of what was to come the following year... it features a rendition of ''Open up and Bleed'' which is so devastating as to justify seeking it out."
Their first studio album, 'Get Lost (Don't Lie!)', was released on 1 December of that year on Mute Records. The tracks were mostly written by Rowland. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described their material as "dark, ominous, challenging rock music." The group were described by Charles Spano of AllMusic as taking a "wander through the haze of smoky cabarets and faded photos worn at the edges." He felt the album was "Simultaneously rocking, strangely beautiful, and scary, it foreshadowed the sound of bands to come over a decade later."
They followed with tours of Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, France, Scandinavia, United Kingdom) and a 35-date tour of the United States where the album was released by SST Records. Back in 1982 Howard, McGuckin and US singer, Lydia Lunch, had recorded an album, 'Honeymoon in Red', which was released on Lunch's Widowspeak label in 1987. They had originally used Rowland's former band mates from the Birthday Party: Nick Cave, Mick Harvey and Tracy Pew, as well as Thurston Moore (from Sonic Youth). These Immortal Souls undertook a short tour of Australia in 1988.
In 1991 Rowland and Lunch released an album, 'Shotgun Wedding', and toured with a live band that included his brother Harry, and Chris Hughes. In 1992 These Immortal Souls issued a single "King of Kalifornia" (also as a 12" EP, 'King of Kalifornia') and, in October, their second album, 'I'm Never Gonna Die Again', which was co-produced by the group with John Rivers. By that time Soundtracks was working on his solo music career and had left the group. AllMusic's Nitsuh Abebe declared the album was "a well-handled and incredibly dramatic record that attacks with full rock force, recedes into minimal, haunting constructions, and then blasts back."
Craig Williamson joined on drums and Spencer P. Jones as second guitarist. This line-up recorded a track, "You Can't Unring a Bell", for a Tom Waits tribute album, 'Step Right Up' in 1994. Other artists on that album are Pete Shelley, Tim Buckley, Violent Femmes and 10,000 Maniacs. Later Jones left the group. Harry, Genevieve and Rowland returned to Australia in 1995, where they occasionally performed. The band's final show was at the Greyhound Hotel, St Kilda on 23 July 1998, with Lydia Lunch as support. Two music videos have been broadcast on ABC TV's Rage: "Marry Me (Lie! Lie!)" and "King of Kalifornia". Kevin Godfrey aka Epic Soundtracks was found dead in his London apartment on 5 November 1997; his cause of death was not identified, despite an autopsy. Rowland S. Howard died of liver cancer on 30 December 2009.
Members
Epic Soundtracks (drums) Spencer P. Jones (guitar) Craig Williams (drums)
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/These_Immortal_Souls
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