Bauhaus on Leaving Records? Weird flex but OK... Matthewdavid's Angelino new age beats imprint has been tapped to handle this expanded reissue of Peter Murphy & co's debut single, recorded just six weeks after forming as a band. Enough has already been said about the legacy of the band and this song in particular, the very first goth rock song blah blah blah...  but the song holds up, and if you close your eyes and imagine a time before black metal, Marilyn Manson, Lil Peep, Pornography by The Cure and Hot Topic, "Bela Lugosi's Dead" is actually pretty fucking spooky. It's since been covered by everyone from Nine Inch Nails to Massive Attack, and Bauhaus went on to become one of 4AD's first success stories in the label's early years. This release marks the first time the complete recording session has been made available, and all tracks have been remastered from the original tapes by Mandy Parnell at Black Saloon Studios. Includes a giant foldout poster and printed inner sleeve with repro design scanned from the original master tape box. Recommended.

• red & black swirl colored vinyl
• complete recording session w/ previously unreleased tracks
• remastered from the original tapes
• includes printed inner sleeve + giant foldout poster
• limited edition
• music label: Leaving Records 2021

reviewed by tom violence 12/2018