While their cit of origin marked the band for some sort of success, it was actually the ensemble’s family tree that should have probably made them a bit better known than what history dealt them. Ricky Rivets, who was originally the New York Dolls guitarist, founded the Corpse Grinders after a few other of his projects fell apart. And not too soon afterwards, the Dolls’ bassist, Arthur Kane joined the ranks. Having KISS open for them didn’t even seem to do much in the way of a career boost. And with some demos and live stuff recorded, the band just shuffled off into oblivion.
It just wasn’t in the cards. And while more than a few groups who probably didn’t deserve major deals got ‘em, the Corpse Grinders went on to work up fair like “Price of Meat,” with its ridiculous title and fast pace. In some ways, the Corpse Grinders, even at their most hard rock sounding represented what punk was about. And it had nothing to do with guitar solos.
Instead of focusing on pretend chops – Johnny Thunders, et all – the band worked up cheap punk grooves. “Scam” and “Infiltration” may well be forgettable tunes, but each does away with too much other than chorded guitar rock. Yeah, there’re some updated Chuck Berry riffs, but that’s what pretty much every counts as.
Rivets doesn’t prove himself to be the worst front-man either, occasionally howling in a cock rock sorta way – as on the aforementioned “Scam.” It’s over the top in a manner that could only have come from a guy who almost had a modicum of fame in his hands and then lost it.
As for Kane, the low end of these tracks isn’t really captured too well, but he provides ample backing. It’s funny, in light of the attention he received after that documentary, that Kane become something of a revered figure. It’s not that he didn’t deserve it, but he also didn’t ever define a band. Maybe if he did, someone would have heard of the Corpse Grinders before now.