Pessimists, on their best day, discover the history of the world in 60
minutes or less and then promptly faint at the stench that overtakes
them! The newest offering by Industrial/Rock enthusiasts Godhead
examines the calculable cost of a world in decay -- that since the dawn of
life as we know it has done nothing but foster our own rapid demise… How
does that strike you? Of course we're taking it to extremes but such is
their sentiment and their statement is not one of wine and roses and
sunny days -- do we need to be bombarded with any more audio phonic street
scrawl to spell it out for us… evidently. So what do you recommend to
someone thinking of buying this for the first time, relax and enjoy?
Not quite.
Following up on their three previously independent releases,
the band struck a chord with a guy named Manson who promptly signed him
to Post Human and thus a new band of cult heroes unleashed upon an
already suspect universe. Noteworthy for a strong sense of modern
technological assistance, Godhead's on the edge in more ways than one.
They'll already be cast as Satanists for their association with
everyone's favorite target… but check this out; they're from D.C. of all
places! I can't remember the last time I've heard of anyone coming from
our nation's capitol, let alone an ungodly creation such as this. Their
heightened use of electro-static arrangements and NIN, Stabbing Westward
type grooves and synth-laced elements for that extra measure of darkness
to go with the outpouring of desperation defines and redefines if not
re-examining those trace properties that served as the foundation for
the modern Rock revolution harbored by Reznor and the like.
The
noteworthy Reeves Gabrels does a guest slot here, renowned for his own
progressive musical mastery with artists like Bowie as well as own work,
strikes a chord (or two, or three) on "Tired Old Man," one of the real
highlights here in spite of this and quickly following Manson himself
lends a scream to "Break You Down," not surprisingly one of the more
aggressively Rock tracks on the record -- hauntingly similar? Yes, I would
think so.
Further down the line they massacre the old Lennon/McCartney
hit "Eleanor Rigby," and now I mean that in colorful sort of way -- I'll
give it to 'em though, it's true to the original but wholly unique -- then
again anything short of, say GWAR, could have their way with it and it
still sounds great -- true classic. They got the break now... they can prove
they got the chops to cut it on their own and with "2,000 Years of Human
Error," they seem to have enough firepower to maybe not change the world,
but definitely shake things up a little…
