Pungent Stench
Encyclopedia
Pungent Stench was a darkly humorous death metal
band from Vienna
, Austria
, which formed in 1988. Their last known lineup consists of Martin Schirenc (vocals/guitar
), El Gore (bass
), and Alex Wank (drums
). They dissolved in 1995, re-formed in 1999, then split up for good in 2007, after recording a final studio album which has yet to be released.
Martin Schirenc is also leader of the symphonic
black metal
band Hollenthon
.
band, its musical style has also been influenced by rock
and blues
. Such non-metal influences can be heard on songs such as "Viva la muerte", "Madcatmachopsychoromantik", "Family Man" and "Got MILF?". Schirenc's choice of guitar (he often plays a Fender Telecaster
, a rarity among metal guitarists) probably signals these influences.
, rape
, paedophilia, and acrotomophilia. The album covers reflect this as well: many of their album covers are transgressive and sometimes shocking photos by Joel-Peter Witkin
.
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band from Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, which formed in 1988. Their last known lineup consists of Martin Schirenc (vocals/guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
), El Gore (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), and Alex Wank (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
). They dissolved in 1995, re-formed in 1999, then split up for good in 2007, after recording a final studio album which has yet to be released.
Martin Schirenc is also leader of the symphonic
Symphonic black metal
Symphonic black metal is a black metal subgenre that emerged in the mid to late 1990s. The genre is known for its symphonic and orchestral elements and is centralized in Europe.-Characteristics:...
black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band Hollenthon
Hollenthon
Hollenthon is a melodic death metal band from Austria. The band includes many symphonic elements in their work, while their earlier material contains some black metal influence.-History:...
.
Musical style
Though Pungent Stench is a death metalDeath metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band, its musical style has also been influenced by rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
. Such non-metal influences can be heard on songs such as "Viva la muerte", "Madcatmachopsychoromantik", "Family Man" and "Got MILF?". Schirenc's choice of guitar (he often plays a Fender Telecaster
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
, a rarity among metal guitarists) probably signals these influences.
Lyrical content
The lyrical content of the songs is more sexually orientated than that of other death metal bands; themes covered include coprophagiaCoprophagia
Coprophagia or coprophagy is the consumption of feces, from the Greek κόπρος copros and φαγεῖν phagein . Many animal species practice coprophagia as a matter of course; other species do not normally consume feces but may do so under unusual conditions...
, rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, paedophilia, and acrotomophilia. The album covers reflect this as well: many of their album covers are transgressive and sometimes shocking photos by Joel-Peter Witkin
Joel-Peter Witkin
Joel-Peter Witkin is an American photographer who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His work often deals with such themes as death, corpses , and various outsiders such as dwarfs, transsexuals, hermaphrodites, and physically deformed people...
.
Final line-up
- Martin SchirencMartin SchirencMartin Schirenc is an Austrian guitarist and vocalist, best known as a founder of death metal/grindcore band Pungent Stench and symphonic death metal band Hollenthon....
(also known as El Cochino) - vocals, guitar (1988–1995, 1999–2007) - El Gore - bass (2004–2007)
- Alex Wank - drums (1988–1995, 1999–2007)
Former members
- Fabio Testi - bass (2004)
- Jacek Perkowski - bass (1988–1995)
- Reverend Mausna - bass (1999–2004)
Discography
- Mucus Secretion (Self-released demo, 1988)
- split w/ Disharmonic OrchestraDisharmonic OrchestraDisharmonic Orchestra is an Austrian death metal/grindcore band that was formed in Klagenfurt, in 1987. Two demos were recorded. A gig in Germany with Pungent Stench led to a deal with Nuclear Blast in 1989. The first outcome of that deal was a split with country-mates Pungent Stench...
(Nuclear Blast, 1989) - Extreme Deformity (7" EP under Nuclear Blast, 1989)
- For God Your Soul... For Me Your FleshFor God Your Soul... For Me Your FleshFor God Your Soul... For Me Your Flesh is the debut album of the Austrian death metal band Pungent Stench. It was originally released in 1990 on Nuclear Blast. The original CD pressing came with ten bonus track off the split LP with Disharmonic Orchestra and the Extreme Deformity EP...
(Nuclear Blast, 1990) - Blood, Pus and Gastric Juice (split 7" EP with BenedictionBenediction (band)Benediction is a British death metal band from Birmingham, England. They were formed in February 1989.-Biography:The Birmingham-based death metal band Benediction were formed in February 1989 by Paul Adams , Peter Rew , Darren Brookes , and Mark "Barney" Greenway...
under Nuclear Blast, 1990) - Been Caught ButteringBeen Caught ButteringBeen Caught Buttering is the second album of the Austrian death metal band Pungent Stench. It was originally released in 1991 on Nuclear Blast. The original album art, which depicted two severed, partially decomposed heads kissing , had to be changed for the Australian release...
(Nuclear Blast, 1991) - For God Your Soul... For Me Your Flesh (Nuclear Blast, 1993 7 remixed songs and 3 re-recorded songs)
- Dirty Rhymes & Psychotronic BeatsDirty Rhymes & Psychotronic BeatsDirty Rhymes & Psychotronic Beats is an EP of the Austrian death metal band Pungent Stench. It was originally released in 1993 on Nuclear Blast. It contains a couple of new songs, two covers and two remixes of the "Blood, Pus, and Gastric Juice" song, taken off the debut album For God Your Soul......
(MCD under Nuclear Blast, 1993) - Club Mondo Bizarre - For Members OnlyClub Mondo Bizarre - For Members OnlyClub Mondo Bizarre – For Members Only is the third album of the Austrian death metal band Pungent Stench. It was originally released in 1994 on Nuclear Blast. The lyrical subject matter has shifted from cannibalism to BDSM and other extreme forms of sexual acts...
(Nuclear Blast, 1994) - Praise the Names of the Musical AssassinsPraise the Names of the Musical AssassinsPraise the Names of the Musical Assassins is a compilation album of "rare and unreleased material" by Austrian death metal band Pungent Stench. It was originally released in 1997 through Nuclear Blast, two years after the band had split-up...
(Compilation under Nuclear Blast, 1997) - Masters of Moral, Servants of SinMasters of Moral, Servants of SinMasters of Moral, Servants of Sin is the fourth album of the Austrian death metal band Pungent Stench. It was originally released in 2001 on Nuclear Blast. The album was recorded after the band had re-united...
(Nuclear Blast, 2001) - Loot, Shoot, Electrocute (Split 7" EP with BenedictionBenediction (band)Benediction is a British death metal band from Birmingham, England. They were formed in February 1989.-Biography:The Birmingham-based death metal band Benediction were formed in February 1989 by Paul Adams , Peter Rew , Darren Brookes , and Mark "Barney" Greenway...
under Nuclear Blast, 2001) - AmpeautyAmpeautyAmpeauty is the fifth album of the Austrian death metal band Pungent Stench. It was originally released in 2004 on Nuclear Blast. The lyrical content is more fetish-oriented than on the previous albums, with many songs focusing on acrotomophilia and apotemnophilia.-Track listing:# "Lynndie " – 6:55...
(2004)
Video Releases
- Viva La Muerte (Nuclear Blast, VHS release, 1993) - features three music videos and eight tracks recorded live in Bremen, Germany