Cardiacs

A _psychedelic_ _punk_ band you probably have never heard about. _Cardiacs_ were an English _rock_ band formed in 1977, originally as Cardiac Arrest, led by Tim Smith. Noted for their complex, varied and intense _compositional_ style and for their eccentric, theatrical stage shows, they have been hailed as an influence by bands as diverse as Blur, Faith No More and Napalm Death. _Cardiacs_ released eight _studio_ albums plus a number of live albums, _compilation_ albums and _singles_ between 1980 and 2007, and are best known for the 1988 minor hit single "Is This the Life?" They are also noted for _attracting_ strongly _diverse_ responses: they remained one of Britain's leading cult rock bands during their four-decade-spanning career, but also attracted virulent critical attack (including a lengthy editorial ban from the British music magazine New Musical Express). Cardiacs were placed on indefinite hiatus following the 2008 hospitalisation of Tim Smith, after a cardiopulmonary arrest which subsequently led him to develop the rare neurological disorder _dystonia_. Smith continued to receive medical _treatment_ and _rehabilitation_, before his death in July 2020.