Filth is the brutal, uncompromising debut studio album by American experimental rock band Swans, released in 1983 on Neutral Records. Emerging from New York’s decaying no wave scene, the album is a sonic assault of grinding bass, chaotic dual drumming, and scathing vocals from frontman Michael Gira, who delivers bleak, confrontational lyrics about power, abuse, and societal decay. The lineup featured Gira, guitarist Norman Westberg, two bassists (including Harry Crosby), and drummers Jonathan Kane and Roli Mosimann, who added metallic percussion by striking hard surfaces with strapsWikipedia. Recorded in Vanguard Studios, Filth captured the violent, oppressive atmosphere of early ’80s NYC, where Gira lived in near-poverty amid gunfire and urban collapse. Though largely ignored at the time, the album is now hailed as a foundational work in noise rock and industrial music, influencing acts like Godflesh and Napalm Death.
