Well this is a welcome return for a brand new band, yeah I know that doesn’t really make sense but…what we actually have here is Chris Connelly going back to his roots in the band that he was an original member in, namely The Revolting Cocks. He was with them from 1987 until they split up after 1993 album ‘Linger Fickin Good. The band got back together courtesy of another former member Al Jourgensen who should need no introduction and had changed a fair bit into a more cheesy, sleazy industrial style. There was very little chance of the two working together again and if you read Al’s book ‘The Lost Gospels’ he makes it abundantly clear that he that he loathes his ex, Scottish collaborator. Connelly has been involved in lots of other bands as well as having a solo career which I have kept an eye on and quite enjoyed what I have heard. Much of that is a lot more reflective, poetic and it’s fair to say lacking the drive of his time in the industrial bands such as RevCo and Ministry so it was a pleasure to hear that he was, although not able to reactivate the Cocks, form a new project that takes its approach from the times he was in the band. Teaming up with him is Jason C Novak of DJ? Acucrack (and I’m none the wiser on who exactly he is either) and this has been described as ‘waking up from a 20 year coma.’ Not wanting to be caught dozing I was quick to grab this one to review and give it a spin.
Guess what? It’s pretty much exactly as described! The opening track ‘Skeemy Gates’ hits the beats and takes me back to that Wax Trax era and the excellent style heard on ‘Beers Steers And Queers’ It broods and bounces around with Connelly leading the ranting vocal charge reminding me of a host of different bands from Pigface to Controlled Bleeding in the process. It’s nicely chaotic and pretty trippy with it as it throws sounds and samples at you with a nice bass heavy back line. ‘Alpha Male Bling’ goes all heavy smoking on us and comes out with a hazy stoned feel as it moves into dub territories with vocals pretty much rapped out, it’s a bit Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy and a heady listening experience complete with some old school scratching going down on it. Changing tack yet again Alpha ‘Guilt Speed And Carbon’ is more guitar driven and the riffs are purest Killing Joke at their most arcane sounding, this could almost be a cut off Fire Dances and needless to say I absolutely love it. Obviously with a message about it that’s going to divide the audience is Ah Don’t Eat Meat Bitch’ as I don’t, it’s a song that I have no problem with and find it most amusing lyrically even if it’s message is a serious one. “Look what you found in your burger, look what you found in your fries, a beak from a mutant or a tail from a dog, or a deep fried pair of eyes” The song has an infectious beat some guest female vocals and I could easily see it becoming an anthem for any number of animal rights groups.
Perhaps not an inspiration at the time but ‘Cock Ripped To The Giddy Tits’ reminds heavily of The Prodigy as it electronically comes in with a quirky feel about it before moving on to a foot tapping trip with some EBM beats that would not have been out of place on the Cocks debut ‘Big Sexy Land’ as well as some hip-hop and even jazzy bits. Speaking of that first album the pair have also pulled off getting another founding member Richard 23 of Front 242 back into the fold to collaborate on TKO Mindfuck a neat pounding and hypnotic thumper with a bass groove that takes me back to older songs like ‘Gila Copter.’
Each and every one of these nine tracks has its own distinct personality the only problem I found was that the last one ‘Cokane In My Brain’ sucked. Sorry I just don’t like what I can only describe as songs bragging about drug intake (not that I am against the use of such things for recreational purposes) it’s just annoying. That aside the album has really hit the mark and truly could be a follow up to the last album with Revolting Cocks that Connelly was involved in and is far more authentic than anything else the reactivated band brought out.
(8/10 Pete Woods)
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