Revolting Cocks
Cocked and Loaded
(13th Planet Records / Megaforce records)
USA
By Fabienne T
Now that he's cleaned up, nothing can stop Al Jourgensen, the legendary veteran of industrial rock. He's now taking his business into his own hands and has launched his new label, 13th Planet, to be home to his bands Ministry and Revolting Cocks. It is not the first time Jourgensen dabbles in the business: he had been the brain behind the Wax Trax ! label that released, althrough the 80s and 90s, the works by Revolting Cocks, Pailhead, 1000 Homo DJ's, Acid Horse, PTP, and Lard (all of them Jourgensen's side projects). Launched in late October 2005, 13th Planet Records now introduces its first release, Revolting Cocks' Cocked and Loaded.
So here it is, the first RevCo album since Linger Ficken Good in
1993. And let me tell you something: it is a right little bundle of demented and deviant joy, a loud, sexed-up, maniacal, fun dirty bomb of an album. Yep, you've guessed it: I positively adored it, straight from the first listen. With a little help from his friends - Dead Kennedys' Jello Biafra, Butthole Surfers' Gibby Haynes, Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Spyder Baby's Stevie Banch and Skatenigs's.Phildo Owen - Al is having a real blast! He has been quoted as saying that the album is "the soundtrack to your inner juvenile delinquent". But all the fun is certainly not detrimental to the quality of the music: this is an extremely varied, modern album, full of creativity, originality and experimentation and, above all, bursting with an infectious energy and enthusiasm; there is absolutely no trace of any filler. The guitars are often furious and huge, sometimes playful and groovy, but always played with incredible panache; the hammering drums seem to come straight from the forge of Hell; samples and distorted voices add happily to the level of noise.
Opening track Fire Engine is a rarity, originally written by Mr Jourgensen and Iggy Pop! It is a pure rock classic, all pumped up with [by?] fab guitar riffs and Stevie Banch's screeching voice. I defy you not to clap your hands in unison. It is immediately followed-up by the goovy, funky Ten Million Ways to Die. The
Revolting Cocks always had a reputation for crazy covers - ask Rod Stewart and Olivia Newton-John. Here, they have a go at Goth cult band Bauhaus' Dark Entries and turn it into an hysterical feast led by Gibby Haynes' voice and renamed Caliente.
Adrenaline-fulled Dead End Streets is an abrasive, modern era punk number, dominated by Jello Biafra's amazing, resounding voice.
Bringing the impetuousness and arrogance of his youth to the band, Stevie Banch sings on Pole Grinder, Jack In the Crack and Devil Cock, three hard-hitting, attention-grabbing tracks that take their inspiration as much from Death/Black metal as Industrial and Heavy Metal. They are unsettling, gritty and bloody loud. It sometimes reminded me of early Marilyn Manson circa Anti-Christ Superstar.
But... bleep! Who's showing his sad and saggy face at the door? It's the shadow of the middle-aged suburban corporate moron, you know, the one who just "MUST WIN" - as he keeps repeating, half-hysterical, on Viagra Culture. Scary, creepy, and everything Revolting Cocks are not. But hilariously self-deprecating nevertheless: you can just imagine the bunch of "dirty old men" playing pranks on their Texan neighbours in-between recording sessions.
On the closing track, Big Burlesque performer/writer/self-confessed sex-obsessed "Sex Aesthetician" Lady Monster teases with her erotically charged Revolting Cock Au Lait, her mouth tasting every word as if it were honey, cooing, smacking her lips after each line, the music swirling around her. A voluptuously elegant and cheeky conclusion to a memorable album. The Revolting Cocks are back to save our miserable world. Smile and enjoy...
The Revolting Cocks are touring with Ministry in the fantastically named MasterBaTour. It kicks off in May with an American tour then goes to Europe -
The official RevCo line-up will include: Al Jourgensen, Luc Van Acker, Phildo Owen, Josh Bradford and Clayton Worbeck (Stayte), Sin (Society 1), Eddy Garzia (Pissing Rasors, Ministry), Anna K (Hanzel Und Gretyl)
More info:
www.thirteenthplanet.com
www.revoltingcox.com