The Chains Of Hell Orchestra

Today's post is about the Chains Of Hell Orchestra, an Olympia, Washington ensemble that released two cassette-only albums in 1982 and a 12" EP in 1984.  I bought the tapes four decades ago.  Someone digitized them and posted them online.  I'm so happy to hear them again and to share them with you.

The first tape is called Cairo's Ride.  The ten songs are interspersed with bits of dialogue and sound effects that tell a story.  At the start of the first track, a female voice asks, "Und ze wedding?"  A male voice responds firmly, "There will be no wedding." A motorcycle engine starts, and the band kicks into a great surf rock instrumental.  It's P.S. O'Neill on guitar, with Steve Fisk (organ), Walter Singleman (bass), and Peter Blecha (drums).  

Side Two opens with the angry vow, "Nobody steals my daughter," as the motorcycle roars by.  The song ends with the sounds of a crash on the road.  "Ascension To Heaven" and "Last Rites For Cairo" end Cairo's Ride. It's like the soundtrack to a film that was never made.  

A second tape called Doctors Daughter was also released in 1982.  The music leans more toward new wave, with lovely vocals from Judy Schneps and haunting tape effects from Steve Fisk. The storyline is a bit more challenging to follow, as the doctor's daughter seems to lose her grip on reality and identity.  Was she exposed to something traumatic by "Jeff"? Did she really go "Over The Wall" and join the KGB?  I don't want to spoil the ending, but I always found it unnerving when she answers phone calls by saying, "This is the doctor."  Both albums include a reprise of an earlier track, restating its musical themes in a different arrangement, which adds to the impression of a "soundtrack" (or even a concept album).  I believe Judy Schneps later adopted the stage name Linda Lamb.

The Northwest Music Archives lists a third Chains Of Hell tape called Chaque Fois, but I've never found any further information about it.  "Generations Past" (from Cairo's Ride) appeared on the Sub Pop 7 cassette compilation, and Sub Pop 9 included "Theme from Supershaft". Supershaft (aka Aftershaft) was another P.S. O'Neill group.

P.S. O'Neill led a number of bands (among them the Westside Lockers, the Little Bears From Bangkok, and Tse Tse Force).  Some of these bands included musicians from Chains Of Hell Orchestra.  O'Neill released a solo album (produced by Steve Fisk) in 1987.  He then turned his attention to filmmaking. 

"The Fertilichrome Cheerleader Massacre" was released on VHS in 1988, and was sold by mail order through ads in Psychotronic.  It is a low budget B&W full length film, shot in Ellensburg, Washington.  Scott Renderer plays the hero, Christian Cairo.  Steve Fisk plays the evil Dr. Stimson, and members of the band Screaming Trees (including the late Mark Lanegan) are his henchmen.  Fisk also did the soundtrack.  O'Neill has a small role as Peter Carnegie.  No cheerleaders were massacred in the making of this film.  

P.S. O'Neill and his producer Sam Albright reworked and re-released the film in 2020 (this time simply titled Fertilichrome).  Watch it here.  The original (with different opening credits and some scenes and dialogue that don't appear in the 2020 version) is also on YouTube.  O'Neill also worked on Attack of the Hideopod (a film that featured the Young Fresh Fellows), and he directed music videos for Tad and the Geto Boys.  Patrick Shawn O’Neill died in 2021, not long after completing the restoration of Fertilichrome.  

Photo of Westside Lockers onstage with Steve Fisk (keyboards), Nick Lee (drums) Judy Schneps (vocals), P.S. O'Neill (guitar). and Mike Dickerson (bass).

Also in today's comments:  MORE CHRISTMAS MUSIC from Redd Kross and The Ghostly Trio!  Feliz Na Bla Bla!