Extreme Noise Terror - A Holocaust in Your Head - Orig UK HURT 1 12" Vinyl LP Album

- Fierce grindcore chaos captured on rare UK vinyl with raw production and explosive history

Front cover Photo of Extreme Noise Terror A Holocaust in Your Head / Holocaust in your Home https://vinyl-records.nl//

Extreme Noise Terror’s “A Holocaust in Your Head” isn’t just another grindcore record—it’s a shrapnel blast aimed at the smug face of polite society. Recorded in 1988 with all the subtlety of a bulldozer through your living room, this slab of vinyl snarls, spits, and rips apart the stale corpse of rock ’n’ roll pretension. Forget hooks, forget polish—this is pure sonic warfare, a DIY howl from Worcester that makes most punk sound like easy listening. It’s ugly, furious, and absolutely essential, the kind of record that leaves your ears bleeding and your conscience guilty for loving it so damn much.

"A Holocaust in Your Head" Album Description:

This, the first Extreme Noise Terror record, is a huge exception to most of their discography. An excellent crust band that went the way (just took a bit longer) of fellow pioneers Napalm Death, they've left behind a few great records of their punkier days.

The music on this, their first whole LP, is not meant to be pleasant. This is not "melodical metalcore beatcore post-hardcore" or any other such 'intelectual' excuse to mosh around. The production is not amazing. The guitar is not given the shiny metal effects of modern bands with the same sound (crust, often mislabeled as grind). The drums sound at times like firecrackers, being hit so hard that it's a wonder they got through more than one without being accidently dismantled. Rounding out the sound is a distorted bass that usually hits a few notes before giving way to these thrashy masterpieces.

This band was probably one of the first to employ two vocalists, and their contrast works as well as any other. One shrieks, the other shouts. You'll need the lyric sheet, anyway. Like most crust, you can't actually understand what they're saying while just listening to it (the first time around, anyway). They sing the whole political spectrum, from "Fucked Up System" (which contains "Blaaaargh" as a lyric) to the superb "Murder", a song attacking the meat industry.

For fans of heavy political hardcore, this is an essential. If you like "grind", you'll also like this. It's all pretty much the same

Extreme Noise Terror (ENT)

Formed in Ipswich, UK in 1985, Extreme Noise Terror carved their name into the crust and grindcore underground with unrelenting speed, dual vocal ferocity, and politically charged lyrics. Known as pioneers of crust-grind crossover, they fused Hardcore Punk rage with the sonic brutality of early Grindcore, influencing countless bands across the globe.

Their debut full-length “A Holocaust in Your Head” (1989) became a landmark release, infamous for its abrasive production and anti-establishment fire. Through decades of shifting line-ups and personal tragedies—including the 2001 passing of longtime frontman Phil Vane—the band refused to fade. ENT continued recording and touring into the 2010s, staying true to their politically charged, anti-establishment ethos and maintaining their reputation as one of the most uncompromising forces in extreme music.

Production & Recording Information:

Music Genre:

Grindcore / Hardcore Punk

Grindcore is known for its extremely fast tempos, heavily distorted guitars, blast beat drumming, and vocals that shift between guttural growls and high-pitched screams. It often features very short songs, raw production, and confrontational themes.

Punk Rock, while also aggressive and raw, focuses more on stripped-down song structures, fast but straightforward rhythms, shouted or melodic vocals, and lyrics centered on rebellion, anti-establishment attitudes, and DIY culture.

The fusion of these two styles emphasizes both the chaotic extremity of grindcore and the political urgency and accessibility of punk rock, making it a defining sound for bands like Extreme Noise Terror.

Collector Notes / Liner Notes
  • Recorded 18–20 November 1988 at Birdsong Studios, Worcester.
Label & Catalognr:

Head Eruption Records – HURT 1

Album Packaging

This 12" LP comes with a custom printed inner sleeve containing lyrics and band details.

Distributed by Pinnacle.

Media Format:

Record Format: 12" Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record

Year & Country:

1988 – United Kingdom

Producers:
  • Steve Bird – Producer
  • Extreme Noise Terror – Co-Producer
Recording Location:

Birdsong Studios – Worcester, UK

Album Cover Design & Artwork:
  • A Stylusfucker Production – Design / Artwork

Band Members / Musicians:

Band Line-up:
  • Tony "Stick" Dickens – Drums
  • Mark Gardiner – Bass
  • Pete – Vocals
  • Dean – Vocals
  • Phil – Guitar
  • Leggo – Guitar

Complete Track-listing:

Tracklisting Side One:
  1. Statement
  2. Deceived
  3. Take The Strain
  4. Conned Thru Life
  5. We The Helpless
  6. Show Us You Care
Tracklisting Side Two:
  1. Innocence to Ignorance
  2. Use Your Mind
  3. Murder
  4. Another Nail In the Coffin
  5. Raping the Earth
  6. Bullshit Propaganda
  7. If You're Only In It for the Music (S.O.D. Off!)
A comic-style album cover for Extreme Noise Terror's A Holocaust in Your Head. At the top, the band name is rendered in jagged, dripping red letters against a white outline. Below, a chaotic black-and-white stage scene unfolds: to the left, a guitarist with an enormous fan of hair plays energetically; in the middle, a zombie-faced singer with bulging eyes holds a microphone, with a speech bubble that reads A Holocaust in Your Head, while a drummer with messy hair pounds a drum kit behind. Another vocalist with tangled dreadlocks screams into a microphone beside grotesque, screaming faces and clawed hands. To the right, a spiky-haired guitarist leaps mid-air, foot flung out, gripping his instrument. The entire scene is filled with scribbled textures, cross‑hatching, and surreal audience members, creating a frantic punk aesthetic.

The top of the illustration is dominated by the band’s name spelled out in jagged, dripping red letters. This stylized logo floats above a frenzied, black‑and‑white concert scene rendered in dense cross‑hatching and chaotic line work.

On the left, a guitarist with an explosion of hair strums his instrument energetically. To his right, a grotesque vocalist with bulging eyes and an open mouth grips a microphone, a speech bubble above him proclaiming A Holocaust in Your Head. Behind them, a drummer with wild hair beats a drum kit sketched in rough lines.

Another singer stands front‑centre, dreadlocks flung forward as he screams into his mic. To the right, a spiky‑haired guitarist leaps mid‑air, one foot thrust out, clutching his guitar. The foreground is packed with monstrous fans: clawed hands, skull‑like heads and bulging eyes crowd toward the stage, amplifying the chaotic punk energy of the scene.

Album Back Cover Photo
A black back cover for Extreme Noise Terror’s A Holocaust in Your Head is arranged with red track titles and credits. It includes photos: at top left, a guitarist plays by a graffiti wall; top right, a vocalist with long dreadlocks sings into a microphone; centre, a blond person bends over a record cover to snort a line of powder; bottom left, a drummer sits behind a drum kit; and bottom right, another guitarist plays a red-and-white guitar. White text lists band members, recording dates and the label’s address alongside a barcode.

The back cover uses a stark black background with the album title picked out in red across the top. Beneath this, small white lettering lists the band members and notes that the album was recorded at Birdsong Studios in November 1988 and produced by Steve Bird and the band. Down the left side, a red track list names the songs for Side One—“Statement”, “Deceived”, “Take the Strain”, “Conned Thru Life”, “We the Helpless” and “Show Us You Care”—while the right side lists Side Two’s titles like “Innocence to Ignorance” and “Another Nail in the Coffin”.

A central collage of photographs punctuates the text. At the top left, a blond-haired guitarist in a black shirt plays an electric guitar in front of a graffiti backdrop. At the top right, a dreadlocked vocalist clenches a microphone, mid‑performance under stage lights and an orange sign. In the middle, a controversial candid shot shows a blond figure bending over a flat surface to use a rolled note to snort a line of white powder from a record sleeve. The bottom row shows a long‑haired drummer seated behind a drum kit on the left, and on the right a short‑haired guitarist playing a red‑and‑white instrument in a dim rehearsal space.

Along the lower edge, white text provides the label’s address for Head Eruption / Hurt Records in Ipswich, Suffolk, along with a barcode. A small red circular logo sits nearby, and the phrases “Made in U.K. A Stylusfucker Production” and “Head Eruption Records” accompany the catalog number “HURT 1”. Distribution by Pinnacle is noted, rounding out the sleeve’s detailed production and distribution information.

Close up of Side One record’s label
Close-up of the Side One record label for Extreme Noise Terror's album A Holocaust in Your Head / Holocaust in Your Home. The label is filled with chaotic, grotesque black-and-white artwork: a distorted skull-like head exploding outward with jagged spikes, bulging eyeballs, and fragments flying in all directions. One eyeball is grotesquely extended on a stalk, while the teeth grin menacingly from the warped face. In the lower right, a skeletal hand holds a cassette tape labeled Side 1, with rough handwritten-style logos reading Stylusfucker Productions. Around the rim appear catalog number HURT 1, All Rights Reserved, and the year 1989. The overall impression is violent, raw, and anarchic, perfectly reflecting the intensity of grindcore punk aesthetics.

This record label for Side One of Extreme Noise Terror’s album is an explosion of raw, underground artwork, combining horror, satire, and chaotic energy.

The central image depicts a grotesque, half-decayed skull, its eye bulging outward on a stalk, while jagged spikes and fragments burst from the top of its head. Black ink lines capture every splatter and eruption, giving the impression of a violent detonation frozen mid-moment.

Beneath this imagery, the label features handwritten script reading Stylusfucker Productions, the catalog number HURT 1, and the year 1989. On the right, a skeletal hand clutches a cassette tape marked Side 1, reinforcing the DIY punk ethic of tape-trading culture.

The combination of anarchic illustration, handwritten lettering, and subcultural symbols embodies the spirit of late 1980s grindcore and punk: rebellious, confrontational, and defiantly unpolished.

Close up of Side Two record’s label
Close-up of the Side Two record label for Extreme Noise Terror's album A Holocaust in Your Head / Holocaust in Your Home. The label features a stark black-and-white photograph of a dog with large, soulful eyes and a slightly sad, pleading expression. The animal’s dark fur contrasts with the white background, and a chain collar is faintly visible around its neck. At the top, the label simply states SIDE 2 in typewriter-style font. On the right-hand side are the catalog number HURT 1 and speed marking 33 RPM. Along the edge, the phrase LAYLA W. MAYALACORE is printed, adding a mysterious personal touch. The overall design is raw and unpolished, in keeping with punk and grindcore aesthetics, creating a jarring contrast between the tender image of the dog and the violent music etched into the grooves.

The Side Two label presents a strikingly different mood from Side One, opting for stark realism over chaotic illustration.

At its center is a black-and-white photograph of a dog, gazing outward with wide, soulful eyes that carry a look of sadness or longing. Its fur is dark, with a white patch on the chest, and a faint chain collar rests around its neck.

Simple, typewritten-style text reads SIDE 2 at the top, while on the right-hand side appear the catalog number HURT 1 and speed indication 33 RPM. Along the left edge, the phrase Layla W. Maylacore is printed, giving the label an enigmatic, almost personal dedication.

The contrast between the haunting gaze of the dog and the furious grindcore etched into the vinyl grooves makes the design both unsettling and memorable—an unexpected emotional counterpoint to the abrasive music.