Low Pop Suicide tried to make an immediate splash by flaunting bassist
Dave Allen's resumé; however, the band sounded nothing like his previous groups,
Gang of Four and
Shriekback. Formed in Los Angeles,
Low Pop Suicide was originally a trio:
Allen, vocalist/guitarist
Rick Boston, and drummer
Jeff Ward. They were also the first group on
Allen's record label, World Domination, a small footnote in rock & roll history that might be the only way the band will be remembered since they had no impact, both critically and commercially, on the early-'90s alternative boom from which they were spawned.
Low Pop Suicide borrowed from
Nine Inch Nails' cauldron of industrial noise and hard rock aggression, but with none of
Trent Reznor's focus or palpable rage; however, they did widen their artistic scope before their demise.
Ward left the group after the recording of their debut album,
On the Cross of Commerce; he was replaced by
Melle Steagal.
On the Cross of Commerce didn't sell very well, and it probably would've been forgotten if the video for "Kiss Your Lips," with its lesbian imagery, hadn't ended up on Beavis & Butt-Head. In 1993,
Ward killed himself. Busy with his company and working again with
Shriekback,
Allen quit
Low Pop Suicide.
Mark Leonard took his place on the follow-up, 1995's
The Death of Excellence. It was
Low Pop Suicide's final attempt at world domination.
Boston went solo in 1996 and
Allen formed
the Elastic Purejoy with
Scott Petersen (drums),
Joseph E. Howard (bass), and
Marc Olsen (guitar). ~ Michael Sutton, All Music Guide