Early years and independent releases (1979–1982) In 1979,
Richard Fielding and Andrew Wright formed an experimental electronic duo, Mr. & Mrs. No Smoking Sign, in Sydney. By the end of that year,
Tom Ellard joined the group. The group's early music was characterised by the use of
tape loops, noisy arrangements of synthesisers and other dissonant sound sources in the general category of
industrial music. Wright departed late in 1979, leaving the duo of Ellard and Fielding to put together the band's early studio offerings, including the A-side of a
split album,
Ear Bitten/No Vowels, No Bowels, with the B-side by Rhythmyx Chymx. Fielding departed the band during the recording of 1981's
Clean, leaving much of the work to be completed solely by Ellard. Following the release of these albums, Severed Heads were also joined by video expert and musician
Stephen Jones.
Major label years and mainstream success (1983–1998) 1983 saw British label Ink Records issue
Since the Accident, which was later released by
Nettwerk records in North America and
Volition Records in Australia.
AllMusic's John Bush described the album as not "quite a crossover effort" with the lead single, "Dead Eyes Opened", being "surprisingly melodic synth-pop". The band's recording deals led to a world tour, which became a multimedia event with the addition of
video synthesisers performed by Jones. After the tour, Severed Heads returned to Australia in August 1984. However, this period saw more personnel change for the band. Bradbury had departed during the recording of
Since the Accident in 1983 (leaving most of the recording to Ellard) and Knuckey departed soon before the 1984 world tour, so the lineup that went on tour consisted of Ellard, Jones and the newly recruited Paul Deering. In 1985, Severed Heads issued
City Slab Horror, again on Ink Records for the European market. Local label Volition compiled international tracks for the local-only album
Stretcher in November 1985. Severed Heads peaked at No. 19 in the United States on the
Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart in 1988 with the
12-inch single "Greater Reward", which later appeared on the album
Rotund for Success, issued in October 1989. The album included several remixes by Sydney-based producer
Robert Racic, who produced tracks for the band through the late 1980s and early 1990s and contributed to their sound. On 22 October 2011, Severed Heads played what was intended to be their final performance in Australia Joan Sutherland Centre, Promotional material at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre. At BimFEST 2011 in
Antwerp, they performed what was billed as their "absolutely final" performance as Severed Heads. However, Ellard and Lawler performed what was again intended to be a final gig at the
Queen's Theatre during the
Adelaide Festival of Arts in 2013, a concert that was recorded by
Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Since 2014, several older Severed Heads albums have been released on vinyl via Medical Records and Dark Entries, such as
Since the Accident and
City Slab Horror. 2016 saw the release of the
Beautiful Arabic Surface 10" acetate dub plate, which contained the first newly recorded Severed Heads tracks since their announced hiatus in 2008. The single was released through Bughlt Records in a limited edition of 45 copies. Renewed interest in the band resulted in a seven-date American tour in September 2015, their first performances in the United States in over 20 years. Following these tour dates, the project remained active with new recordings, further reissues and live performances. Severed Heads again split up after a string of headlining shows in the US in September 2019. On the band's
Bandcamp page selling the
Living Museum live compilation, they stated: "The 2019 shows were the last bye bye for Severed Heads in Australia, Europe and the USA, and we thank all the people who came out to see us off. We look forward to 2020 and new nilamox* STUFF." ==Influence==