The Snake Corps’ cult classic debut Flesh on Flesh is back in physical circulation, with the album newly reissued in two 2026 editions: an expanded and remastered CD from Iconoclassic Records and a clear-vinyl pressing from Lantern Rec.
Originally issued on Midnight Music in 1985, Flesh on Flesh captures the English band’s early sound in full reach: ringing guitars, hard-edged romanticism, cavernous drums, and the kind of widescreen emotional pull that placed them in the same weather system as Sad Lovers & Giants, The Chameleons, The Sound, Echo & the Bunnymen, and early U2. But where Sad Lovers & Giants often leaned toward a more misted, coldwave-adjacent strain of post-punk, The Snake Corps pushed the shared DNA into something heavier and more gothic-rock-inclined, with a sharper guitar attack and a larger, more anthemtic vocal presence.
That presence belongs to Marc Lewis, whose voice gives Flesh on Flesh much of its force. Lewis sings with a dramatic, open-throated command that rivals Bono at his early-80s peak, turning songs such as “Victory Parade,” “Science Kills,” “Another Monday,” and “Look East for Eden” into broad, urgent statements without losing the record’s underground charge. The Snake Corps could brood with the best of their era, but they also knew how to make that brooding move outward, toward scale, sweep, and grandeur.
The new Iconoclassic edition, catalog number ICON 1093, marks the album’s first CD pressing in more than 35 years. It has been remastered by Maria Triana and expanded with seven bonus tracks, three of which appear on CD for the first time. The package also includes new liner notes by Mick Mercer, based on newly conducted interviews with the band.
A separate Lantern Rec. edition, issued for Record Store Day 2026, brings Flesh on Flesh back to LP as a limited clear-vinyl pressing with one bonus track, “Dreamland.”
The Snake Corps formed around 1984 in the wake of the first breakup of Sad Lovers & Giants, with guitarist Tristan Garel-Funk and drummer Nigel Pollard initially launching the project. Pollard soon returned to Sad Lovers & Giants, and the early Snake Corps lineup solidified around Marc Lewis on vocals, Garel-Funk on guitar, Liam McGuinness on bass, and Jon Greville of Rudimentary Peni on drums.
The connection between the two bands was not merely biographical. The Snake Corps and Sad Lovers & Giants shared a musical bloodstream, sometimes quite literally: songs such as “In Flux” passed between both their worlds, revealing how close the projects could be in origin while showing how differently each band handled the same material. In the hands of Sad Lovers & Giants, that language could feel spectral, icy, and suspended in another world; with The Snake Corps, it became denser and darker. Still dreamy, yet more forceful.
Though Flesh on Flesh never became a mainstream hit, the record built a devoted following among post-punk, darkwave, and gothic-rock fans, particularly in Europe, where The Snake Corps found much of their audience through touring. They later continued with albums including Smother Earth and 3rd Cup, and eventually returned to activity in the 2010s, carrying forward the same grand, bruised romanticism that made their debut such a cult favorite.
Order the Lantern Editions vinyl edition here:
Order the Iconoclassic Records CD edition here:
The Snake Corps, Flesh on Flesh — Expanded CD Tracklist:
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