The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black

The Anit-Naturalists (Triple X)
by Lex Marburger

I saw The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black when they came to the Rat, and even though the stage show was twisted and outrageous, with painted breasts and huge props, a practical joke at convention’s expense, the music just didn’t thrill me. That was then. Now TVHOKB (how’s that for an acronym?) have released The Anti-Naturalists (Triple X), and they’ve gotten better. The CD stands on its own. NYC rock and roll, packing a punch, and with the vocals up front, you can hear the SAT words that Kembra Phaler uses. Have you ever heard “vociferous,” “chlorophyll,” “teutonic,” or “teather penumbra” used by a naked woman in blue body paint while a Japanese guitarist in a nurse’s outfit churns out an old school rock-the-fuck-out-of-you song, and other naked women in various colors dance around with giant cardboard flowers and bunny ears? Oh yeah, their teeth are all blacked out, too. Although this should have been released on video, The Anti-Naturalists is a damn good album, which should tie you over until the next time they come to town.