Slaughtermen (band)

The Slaughtermen were an Australian post-punk southern gospel group, which began in Melbourne in 1984.

The band's first single, "God's Not Dead" b/w "Jesus Saves White Trash", was released on the Au Go Go label in 1986. This was followed with 1987's "Still Lovin' You" LP on the Cleopatra Records label, and 1988's "Melbourne, Memphis and the Mansion in the Sky" LP on the Agape label. Founder members were Ian Stephen (vocals and keyboards), Mark Ferrie (bass guitar and vocals), Andrew Pendlebury (lead guitar and vocals), Terry Doolan (rhythm guitar and vocals), Des Hefner (drums and vocals). The Slaughtermen gained a following playing revved up versions of southern gospel songs and barroom country classics at inner city rock venues in Sydney and Melbourne between 1985 and 1988.

The band enjoyed a years residency at the Rising Sun Hotel in Melbourne which built a fairly even following of believers and sceptics. Singer Ian Stephen, only added to the mystique and/or confusion by purchasing a twenty five dollar Reverendship from a religious organization from out of the back pages of the "National Enquirer". A nationally broadcast hour long live concert on Australia's ABC TV, cemented their unique place to this day, as Australia's first and only southern gospel group, albeit twelve thousand miles from the original source of the inspiration, America's Deep South.

"The Slaughtermen were, and still are, one of the most original bands ever to see the light of day in Australia." Mathew W. McPherson, Rolling Stone Magazine Australia

Andrew Pendlebury and Des Hefner left the band after the "Melbourne, Memphis" album, and were replaced by Tony Thornton, (drums) and Martin Lubran (lead guitar and pedal steel).

After a lacklustre Sydney tour in 1988 the band ceased performing. In 1995 the Slaughtermen returned to the stage with the original line-up at a well received one-off concert in Melbourne, to coincide with the release of a CD "Gospel Gold" on the Massive label. This 20 track disc featured live recordings of their gospel material culled from the "Live Naturally" album and various sound board recordings. In 1994, 1997 and 2007, the original members reformed for one-off concerts in Melbourne, Australia.

The Slaughtermen