''God's Balls'' is the debut studio album by the American rock band Tad, released in 1989 by

Sub Pop Sub Pop is an independent record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana (band), Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the gru ...

. The band promoted the album by undertaking a European tour with labelmates

Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...

. The album was re-released as a deluxe edition in 2016 by Sub Pop.

Production

The album was produced by

Jack Endino Jack Endino (born Michael M. Giacondino; 1964) is an American producer and musician based in Seattle, Washington. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands including Mudhoney, ...

. The band's goal was to create an album lacking harmony and melody.

Critical reception

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'' called the album "impressively punishing," writing that "the riff-heavy 'Behemoth', 'Satan’s Chainsaw' and especially the Ed Gein-inspired 'Nipple Belt' hit like a succession of knees to the groin, with Doyle’s rugged, sneering vocals adding insult to injury." ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

'' wrote: "Relying on legendary Seattle producer Jack Endino to help translate their monolithic live sound to record, the band set about doing what they do best -- namely channeling ‘70s heavy metal into something even heavier and more oppressive than any of their forebears could’ve imagined."

Track listing

Personnel

Tad * Tad Doyle – vocals, guitar * Gary Thorstensen – guitar * Kurt Danielson – bass * Steve Wied – drums Production *

– production, engineering, mastering * Charles Peterson – photography

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1989 debut albums Tad (band) albums Albums produced by Jack Endino Sub Pop albums