8. The Nymphs - Nymphs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuQdOPM86EQ As far as rock folklore goes, The Nymphs are the stuff of musical legend, with a myriad of infamous record label disputes, fractured band tension and notoriously outrageous antics, unfortunately leading to a band split after just one release. However, musically they incorporated this attitudinal punk rock ethos into their bubbling genre fusion to create a combustible mixture of hard-hitting rock and dreamily bewitching vocals. Credit goes to cult rock icon Inger Lorre because she sings her heart out with ear piercing cries and husky whines on the majority of these tracks, a demanding vocal performance handled with aplomb on the twisted atmospheric haziness of 'Just One Happy Day' or on the hauntingly nightmarish 'Cold'. Instrument-wise, the group do a remarkable job in propelling Lorre's voice into the forefront of the mix with phenomenal bottom-end riffage on songs like the waltzing ballroom-wailer '2 Cats' or the cracking confessional crooner 'Imitating Angels'. The ultimate highlight is the harrowing horror story 'The Highway', about a real life serial killer that evokes serious dread and terror thanks to a supremely confident performance, both on the belting vocal delivery and the scorching instrumental work, making it one of the best lost songs of the grunge period. A truly fantastic album that possesses a real authentic sound that was unfortunately plagued by outer music turmoil. Good luck finding this one on Spotify however - we're lucky it made it out on any format at all.
William Boyd
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Music Journalism graduate and freelance writer from Northern Ireland, who enjoys scouring the music archives for the best sounds from the past and present. Writer for the awesome publications WhatCulture, Metal Injection, Scribol, The Gamer, and Prefix.
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