Antichrist Superstar

The band was formed in 1989 by its singer and the guitarist Daisy Berkowitz. For the next seven years every member's name was made by joining the stage name of a female pop-culture figure to the surname of a male serial killer. They built a following in the punk and hardcore scene of South Florida, and eventually came to the attention of Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, who signed them to his Nothing Records. This album was recorded over eight months at Nothing Studios in New Orleans. Along with Twiggy Ramirez, Madonna Wayne Gacy and Ginger Fish, the Nine Inch Nails players Robin Finck, Danny Lohner and Chris Vrenna took part. It was produced by the singer with Reznor, the former Skinny Puppy producer Dave Ogilvie, and Sean Beavan. The work was long and difficult. Near-constant drug use and sleep deprivation were pursued deliberately, to make an environment hostile enough to suit the content. Antagonism between the members deepened as a result, and the founding guitarist, Berkowitz, was fired partway through the sessions; this is the last record he appears on. It is the first part of a trilogy completed by Mechanical Animals in 1998 and Holy Wood in 2000. The running order here is the original's as printed.