Mark of the Mole
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| Mark of the Mole | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 1981 | |||
| Recorded | October 1979 – July 1981 | |||
| Genre | Experimental, industrial | |||
| Length | 40:49 | |||
| Label | Ralph, East Side Digital | |||
| The Residents chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Record Mirror | [2] |
Mark of the Mole is the eighth studio album by American art rock group The Residents, released in 1981 on Ralph Records. It was the first in what was intended to be a "trilogy" (of six albums) with a narrative centred on a conflict between two rival peoples, the Moles and the Chubs.
Mark of the Mole introduces the Moles (a subterranean society whose gods offer salvation through hard labor) who are forced to abandon their tunnels due to flooding at the start of the album. The Moles enter the land of the Chubs (a vapid, hedonistic culture which resides under the sea), seeking work and a new home.
Initially, the Moles are welcomed with open arms because the Chubs despise hard labor. Conflict arises when a Chub scientist invents a machine that can do the work instead, making the Moles obsolete and sparking a brief war. The short instrumental track "Resolution?" ends the album without giving a clear conclusion to the narrative; the liner notes to the album The Big Bubble (billed as "Part Four of the Mole Trilogy") states that the war ended with no clear winner, and the two ethnic groups live together in uneasy peace into the next generation.
