SOUNDTRACK: GOBLIN COCK-Necronomidonkeykongimicon (2016).
Goblin Cock is the hilariously inappropriate name of a heavy metal side project from Rob Crow of the band Pinback. The album sounds very literally like a heavy cousin to Pinback with a similar (just much heavier) songwriting style.
The band members are: Lord Phallus (Rob Crow)-guitar and vocals; Lick Myheart-guitar; Tinnitus Island-bass; Mylar Grinninstein-drums. (Probably pseudonyms).
Necronomidonkeykongimicon was the band’s first album in almost ten years after two albums in the early 2000s. And Joyful Noise records had this to say about it:
Goblin Cock is a band from beyond time, beyond space, beyond your naive concept of dimension in METAL. Since before your pathetic “god” had supposedly “created” you and your kind, Lord Phallus was hunkered in a cybertimeship/fun-dungeon skating the layers of what was considered “true metal” in all societies and in all generations. Eventually His Majesty realized that he really didn’t care and launched a full-scale war against bland metal with an emphasis on ACTUALLY HAVING A GOOD TIME!
The album has 13 songs in 36 minutes–this is not an epic recording or anything. But despite their brevity, these aren’t blistering punk songs either. Rather, the songs work primarily in some of the heaviest metal styles (Slayer comes to mind) but also add some really alt-metal sounds (like Tool) in the bridges and choruses.
The first song, “Something Haunted” starts with a classic doom sound. A distorted, vibrating series of notes–old school metal, including a heavy chugging riff. When he starts singing he sound a bit like Ozzy, but more like an alt-rock Ozzy (with a better voice). When the bridge comes in, it feels more like Tool than dark metal. The chorus soars to unexpected alt rock highs and somehow segues tightly back to that opening heavy riffage. The song is three and a half minutes and is one of the longest songs on the album.
The second song, “Montrossor” starts so quickly, I initially thought it was still part of the first song. It opens with fast double bass drums and equally fast riffage. The bridge is a super fast followed by a slower melody (complete with crashing cymbals) that ends abruptly after two and a half minutes. It ends abruptly and shifts gears into “Stewpot’s Package” which has that same old school style heavy deep opening riffs. But again, it’s followed by a shift to more Tool-like sound for the bridge. The chorus shifts gears and sounds almost like an XTC chorus.
“Youth Pastoral” is an instrumental with a practically heavy jazz riff. The middle grooves all over the place as it shifts gears and style but fits perfectly together.
“Flume” opens with a slow menacing riff and Crow’s clipped singing until the much heavier chorus. But, really, the most amazing thing about this song is that at the 1 minute mark, he sings the word “hey” for a full twenty-six seconds. It’s astonishing how long he holds that note. The rest of the song is sung much more quietly, which seems fitting.
“Bothered” is heavy grooving with some excellent back and forth on the guitar parts. A shouting chorus is followed by a kind of guitar solo (more like an instrumental break than a solo proper). A slow, heavy Soundgarden-esque riff opens “Your Watch.” The chorus stays in that style, which never sounds like a Soundgarden song (the vocals are very different), but would fit comfortably on their playlist. It’s followed by “The Undeer” a fast heavy chugging song that’s over in 90 seconds but only after a kind of mocking “la la la” vocal in the middle.
“Struth” opens with a slow drum fill followed by a n old school Black Sabbath-y riff. The quietest part of the record occurs near the end of this song with a cool-sounding guitar melody (and effects) as the song slows to a pretty end. But “The Dorse” resumes the heaviness with some intense double bass drum and pummelling guitars. This is another instrumental, but much heavier with some relentless pounding guitar and bass and an almost victorious guitar melody on top.
“World is Moving” is a quiet song that almost doesn’t fit on this record. It opens with a complex guitar melody and some off-kilter time signatures. The vocals are quiet and hushed for most of the song until it starts building up by the end.
“Island, Island” returns to the heaviness with a an intense riff and loud crashing drums. It’s li e classic metal song with lots of drums taking the fore. There’s a catchy melodic middle that is bookended by ferociously heavy chugging guitars. The middle of the song is about as heavy as this album gets with the thumping guitars and drums all in double time.
“Buck” ends the disc with the longest song–almost four minutes. It’s slow and grooving and has a feeling of an 80’s sci fi film as the end adds a swirling synth sound.
Despite the band’s name, which will certainly turn off some, this album isn’t silly or overly vulgar. It’s just some great songwriting in a bunch of heavier styles.
[READ: October 20, 2020] “Life Without Children”
Here’s the third story about COVID that I’ve read. I’m not going to continue keeping track, but I am marvelling at how many have been published already.
This one is from a different perspective than I’m used to.
In it, Alan, an Irish man in his sixties, is in England on business. His wife back home in Dublin tells him about all of the quarantining going on in Ireland.
Social distancing is a phrase that everyone understands. It’s like gender fluidity and sustainable development. They’re using the words as if they’d been translated from Irish, in the air since before the English invaded.
Where he is in Newcastle, it’s like nothing has happened. He is very careful about what he touches. He cleans everything. He envisions the particles floating in the air between the drunk men in the Hawaii-Five-0 shirts. Continue Reading »
SOUNDTRACK: TEGAN AND SARA-“Proud” (1999).
Each chapter in this book is headed by a quote from a different song. I chose this Tegan and Sara song because it sounds so remarkably different from their current stuff (things do change in 20 years, how about that).
I was really bummed when this show was postponed. I was even more bummed when it was moved to the Church. I really liked the venue when we first arrived, but by the end, I was hot and sweaty and crowded and worn out.
Einstürzende Neubauten are infamous–they have been making noise (their name means collapsing new buildings) for forty years.
I Just Read About That... 