BAD KARMA

Doug "Sluggo" Vizthum formed Bad Karma following the breakup of Pleased Youth. Vizthum deserves a page for his role as life-long New Brunswick musician and advocate of the scene for four decades (just survey New Brunswick scene photos on the web: Vizthum seems to be in most of them). His three-piece, which also included Thomas DiEllo and Wally Bird, was appealingly crude, loud, and not without songs. Like a number of "darker" NB bands in the late 1980s, BK's sound conjured up hard rockabilly (X, Gun Club, Cramps), with fast tempos, hollered vocals, walking bass lines, the works. I was introduced to them via David Aaron Clark, who recruited them to record a 7-inch e.p. for his short-lived Red Ghost label (see also: Catharsis). Embracing an entirely different form of chaos, Vizthum and DiEllo also played in the Lunar Bear Ensemble around this time.

While I have no BK fliers other than a benefit promo, the back cover from their George Washington Smoked Pot And Owned Slaves EP speaks to the graphics tools of the trade back then: Futura Extra Bold type screaming the band name, Court Tavern live photo "enhanced" with a mezzotint screen. As to the front cover illustration, well, that's stoner political commentary for you.

[CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE]