The Enigmas: Strangely Wild (1985)

 

The Enigmas were a post-punk garage-rock band that puzzled Vancouver throughout much of the eighties.





Led by a saxophone-wielding Iggy-worshiper named Paul McKenzie (Future leader of Fat Wreck-Chords folk-punk band, The Real McKenzies), The Enigmas pushed an idiosyncratic retro-punk sound that would carry throughout Canada and help, in its own way, expand the Og Records empire.

The band unleashed their Seeds-Iggy-Bowie-Damned Frankensound Monster on the world via two 12" EP"S and a slew of compilation appearances including It Came From the Pit and the aforementioned Og Records', It Came From Canada Volume One.

Owing possibly to it being my introduction to the band, I'd argue that Strangely Wild is the band's best work. With ripping tracks like the Nuggets-y "A Bit Too Far", the snarlin' but folk-rockin'  "The Flying Dutchmen" and the Cramps-ish "Monster's in the Basement", the band's failure to find a wild cult following remains a riddle, wrapped in a mystery...

A1		Flying Dutchman
A2		Windshield Wiper
A3		Monsters In The Basement
B1		A Bit Too Far
B2		Strangely Wild
B3		Rush Hour In Russia

 

So give us you take on the Enigmas in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find  the Strangely Wild link).

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