Ausgang (GB)

About

Formed in Birmingham in 1983 out of the ashes of Kabuki, Ausgang quickly carved out a place in the UK deathrock scene, sharing stages with Death Cult, Alien Sex Fiend and Sex Gang Children before most bands had even figured out their sound. Their early run on Criminal Damage Records produced a handful of sharp releases, including the "Solid Glass Spine" single which crept to No. 28 on the UK Indie Chart, and the Head On EP produced by Andi Sex Gang himself. Their debut album Manipulate landed in early 1986, and they later set up their own Shakedown label to stay on their own terms. A brief identity detour as Ausgang a Go Go in 1987 tried to shake a reputation for being too dark and serious, but the band split shortly after. They reformed in 2003, put out Licked in 2005, and played the Drop Dead Festival multiple times across the US and Europe. With founding members Max and Matthew still at the helm alongside newer recruits, the band has been working on fresh material.