The Divine Horsemen

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This article is about a band. For the film, see Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti (film).

The Divine Horsemen were a punk/roots band founded in 1983 by Chris D.(Desjardins), formerly of L.A. punk rock band The Flesh Eaters. The band developed a distinctive (and at the time, very new) alt country- type sound. They took their name from a voodoo term; a worshipper who is possessed by loa during a ceremony is said to be being ridden by The Divine Horsemen. The term was also used as a song title by The Flesh Eaters

Desjardins re-worked several old songs by The Flesh Eaters, notably "Poison Arrow", and exercised his literary side by namechecking Chester Himes, Jim Thompson, Donald Goines, James Ellroy, Harry Crews, Ambrose Bierce and James Joyce amongst others on the track "What Is Red" from the "Snake Handler" lp.

1 Personnel
2 Albums
- 2.1 Note on Record Labels
3 Articles

[edit] Personnel

Other band members included Julie Christensen [1] (Chris' then-wife) and Peter Andrus, as well as Flesh Eaters stalwart Robyn Jameson. They were joined at times by members of L.A. punk bands like Kid Congo Powers of The Gun Club and The Cramps, Jeffery Lee Pierce of The Gun Club and Stan Ridgway of Wall of Voodoo. They broke up in 1988.

[edit] Albums

[edit] Note on Record Labels

The Divine Horsemen

The information below provides the record label at the time the album was released. Most of these labels are now defunct or no longer include these albums in their catalog. They have currently been relicensed and reissued by Atavistic Records.

1984 Time Stands Still Enigma Records
- Track Listing
  - When The Rain Comes Down
  - Lily White Hands
  - Past All Dishonor
  - Frankie Silver
  - Sanctuary
  - Heat From The Sun
  - Little Sister
  - Hell's Belle
  - Time Stands Still
  - Tears Fall Away
  - My Sin
  - Devil's River
  - Mothers Worry
  - Tenderest Kiss

1986 Devil's River on SST Records
- Track Listing
  - My Sin
  - Sapphire
  - Devil's River
  - He Rode Right Into Town
  - Come Into This Place (aka Poison Arrow Of Flame)
  - Tenderest Kiss
  - Love Call
  - Too Young To Die
  - It Doesn't Matter
  - Middle Of The Night

1986 Middle of the Night on SST Records
- Track Listing
  - Middle Of The Night
  - Field Of Stone
  - If Only I Could
  - Little Sister
  - Mother's Worry
  - It Doesn't Matter
  - Gimmie Shelter
  - Voodoo Idol

1987 Snake Handler on SST Records
- Track Listing
  - Snake Handler
  - Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
  - Stone By Stone (Fire Is My Home)
  - Curse Of The Crying Woman
  - Someone Like You
  - Fire Kiss
  - What Is Red
  - Blind Leading The Blind
  - That's No Way To Live

1987 Handful Of Sand EP on SST Records
- Track Listing
  - Handful Of Sand
  - Curse Of The Crying Woman
  - Frankie Silver (Live)
  - Past All Dishonor (live)
  - Sanctuary (Live)