After several well-received singles, Bauhaus burst forth from Britain's post-punk underground with a collection of goth anthems that added a whiff of the tomb to punk's modernist bent. Sounding immediately assured of their power and versatility, the group rage through several future standards ("Stigmata Martyr," "St. Vitus Dance," the title track), and stretch out on a few tortured slow numbers ("Double Dare," "Spy in the Cab"). Daniel Ash is raw and torrid on guitar, while Peter Murphy brings an enormous amount of passion to his vocals, as contemporary live shows demonstrated. For goth fans, In the Flat Field is a benchmark in the history of the music. [4AD's CD reissue of the album added eight bonus tracks, including galvanizing versions of "Dark Entries," "Telegram Sam," and "Rosegarden Funeral of Sores" plus the goth-breakup classic "Crowds."] ~ John Bush, All Music Guide