Bands who don't sound like their name

Suicide and solo Vega were both pretty heavy live. Vega seemed to be openly confrontational though not sure how much of taht was more performance art.
There are some pretty great live clips up on youtube. But I think his really confontationsl appearances may have been earlier, mid to late 70s where he would do things like swing bike chains around his head. He was also really into slamming the microphone into his face.
YOu can hear the intensity on a lot of the live sets from the late 70s and early 80s.
Not sure if you're being misled about the live band from the heightened use of melody on the 2nd lp the one with the blood in the plughole on the cover.
First lp is a lot rougher and lofi sounding. Still has a sense of rhythm verging on the funk and some reaslly good tracks worthy of pretty heavy covers on.

Looking through what I've been listening to, it's from a mix of times, from tracks like Ghost Rider through to 2002's Misery Train, but yes, you're right it was maybe tracks from the second LP that most made me call it Elvis synthpop. I gues

Have you heard "Frankie Teardrop"?

I have now! I can see that it's intense, but the occasional shriek jump-scare aside I wouldn't call it heavy going. Maybe it's just the thinness of the sound – which to be clear, I like. Yeah, I can imagine some of it sounded very different live.