by Hugo Ball
Freakonica
Put on your digitized dance-simulator ya street urchins! The major-label debut from GVSB is finally here. GVSB have a new producer, (Nick Launay - PiL, Midnight Oil, Gang of Four) sound and label which give cause to sweat and writhe one's way through the Apocalypse on into the 21st century. With instrumentation consisting of keyboards, two bass guitars, drums and guitar, GVSB have all the weapons to get yo-ass-a-movin'.
If your body doesn't shimmy out of control at first listen to this then you need to check your pulse. From beginning to end Freakonica combines frenetic keyboard sampling, distorted guitar, sub-sonic rumble, and hard-hitting groves to create an electronica/heavy metal hybrid that has mind-numbing effect.
There are also plenty of new-century, psycho-mantras sung in near-pretentious whispered voice. Lyrics like "burn like you don't exist" and "look by Trash, eyes by Heaven, ass by Armani, Gucci forever" give fragmented commentary on the multi-layered facades of big-city living. Finally, a lot of tired noise is generated about how sexy these lads are. I dunno...it's all relative. I say the bovine around these parts are better hung. But as the old saying goes, "hung" is in the gonads of the holder. (Geffen Records, 9130 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90069-6197).