L.S. Underground This Is the Healing: 35th Anniversary

Originally released in 1991 on the late, great Blonde Vinyl Records, This Is the Healing by L.S. Underground stands as one of the most raw, unsettling, and emotionally honest statements to emerge from the fringes of Christian alternative music. Led by Michael Knott, the album rejected Polish and certainty in favor of vulnerability, ambiguity, and truth-qualities that still make it feel startlingly alive decades later.Built on a stripped-down foundation of guitars, stark drum programming, and Knott's unmistakable voice, This Is the Healing leans into tension rather than resolution. From the opening moments of "Miracle," which tells stories of broken people praying through fear and unanswered hope, the album signals that this will not be a comfortable listen-and that's precisely it's power. Knott's lyrics confront doubt, grief, love, and faith without formulas, offering something far more resonant than the tidy answers common to the era.Tracks like "G.G.G." remain among the most affecting moments in Knott's catalog, delivering a plea for love and understanding that is as bold as it is disarming. The title track, "This Is the Healing," reframes inspiration itself, suggesting that real healing begins not with platitudes but with honesty about where the pain truly lives. Elsewhere, Knott's experimental instincts are on full display: "War" collides slashing guitars, spoken vocals, and operatic passages from Bridget Knott, weaving together biblical imagery and Gulf War-era anxieties, while "Hummingbird" drifts into one of the strangest and most compelling moments in his discography, blending industrial textures with multilingual operatic vocals.At times, This Is the Healing feels like several records colliding-intimate and emotional songs sit alongside post-punk urgency and concept-driven experimentation. Yet that collision is the point. The album captures a restless artist unwilling to smooth the edges, resulting in a work that feels deeply human, challenging, and ultimately compassionate.This Legends Remastered Blood Red Vinyl reissue, is the 35th Anniversary Edition released in cooperation with Josh Lory, and marks the first time This Is the Healing has been pressed on red vinyl, limited to just 200 copies. Mastered for vinyl by J Powell at Steinhaus, the release presents the album with renewed depth and clarity. It features brand-new original cover artwork created by Michael Knott in 2023, offering a fresh visual interpretation from the artist himself. The package also includes a 2-panel 12x12 insert with lyrics, photos, and an in-depth write-up by music critic Dw. Dunphy, placing the album in it's proper historical and artistic context. This 35th Anniversary Legends Remastered edition honors one of the defining albums from the Blonde Vinyl era.As the creative force behind Blonde Vinyl Records and a key figure connected to the earliest days of Tooth & Nail, Michael Knott's impact on Christian alternative music cannot be overstated. Through Lifesavers, L.S. Underground, Aunt Betty's, and Cush, he helped redefine what faith-filled music could sound like-unfiltered, experimental, and unafraid.This Is the Healing remains a powerful artifact from the edges of alternative rock history-and more importantly, a record that still speaks to listeners willing to sit with discomfort, honesty, and hope all at once.For fans of Janes Addiction, The Cure, Undercover, The Queers, Porno For Pyros, The Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins