Locust Abortion Technician, the first Butthole Surfers album not recorded in a professional studio pushed the band to a new level of (underground) superstardom. After growing weary of life on the road, the band moved to Winterville in 1986, renting a small two-bedroom house. They used their limited funds to buy an old Ampex 8-track tape machine and two microphones, setting up a makeshift home studio to record their third full-length LP. Despite using less advanced equipment than on their previous record, guitarist Paul Leary believes the lower-quality gear forced the band to be more inventive.

The new setup also eliminated concerns about recording costs, allowing the band greater freedom to experiment and take extended breaks for drug use, according to bass player Jeff Pinkus.

Many tracks on the album underwent extensive in-studio development, a practice that had become a Butthole Surfers tradition. However, Locust Abortion Technician was one of their last albums recorded in this chaotic manner; future releases would see the band entering the studio with more fully developed songs. Pinkus has noted that the earlier, more disorganized recording sessions contributed to the spontaneous creativity that characterized their early work.

2024 reissue/remaster released via Matador Records in 2024.

Tracklist: 

Side A

Side B