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These guys are a riot. I have a couple of albums of theirs and really enjoy cranking up the decibels to them. I have "Party Animals" and "Apocalypse Dudes". Party Animals is more in the vein of naughty heavy metal, with a twist of Alice Cooper. Apocalypse Dudes is the recommended one for those who just want to be pummeled and it features better song writing, too.
This is just some skim off of the cream. Don't know a whole hell of a lot else about these crazy Scandinavians, other than their claim to "Death Punk" or "Black Punk". Whatever. It is pretty awesome stuff, though. Check them out.
Oh, and
Play it loudest!
Roky was born on St. Swithin's day; the same day that Vlad Dracula was born. He's the man. A satanic Buddy Holly. I mean, I don't like Satan, personally, but you somehow got to admire Roky's dedication to him (explained in the update). His reality (or unreality) makes poser wannabe evil dudes, say Slayer, look like Quakers. He believes that he is an alien. I forget the alien's name, it's either Glieb or Blieb. I'm just running off the top of my head here. He has been institutionalized and in prison. He did copious amounts of drugs, namely acid, and at one time it was rumored that Jack Black would be playing Roky in a biopic flick about his life.
Roky got his start with a band that eventually became the 13th Floor Elevators, in the later part of the sixties. My favorite song of theirs is the haunting orgasmic holler fest that is "You're Gonna Miss Me". Here, Roky sounds like early Van Morrison, circa "Them", only with two-ton balls casting his hell fire vocals upon your ears. But the amazing part of Roky is that his voice can go from this sulfurous rage to Buddy Holly hiccup, then to sweet and tender croons, that drip with heartache.
Rocky has a new compilation of his best 13th Floor Elevators and his solo work, entitled, "I Have Always Been Here Before", of which is also a title of a "Buddy Holly" like tribute to Old Scratch. Underneath his sole acoustic guitar and Texan-tongued vocals, there is a dark, eerie undertone that just haunts you on this tune. His other songs also talk of zombies (Creature With the Atom Brain), serial killers (Bloody Hammer), political paranoia & conspiracy with a reference to the identity of the Anti-Christ (The Interpreter), the list of off beat and wildly interesting songs continue. I never tire of listening to him sing "Starry Eyes" or "Stand for the Fire Demon", and "You Don't Love Me Yet" is a lovely tune with sincerity beyond most other songwriters.
Check him out sometime. Just be prepared to open your mind a bit. We are talking about a guy that formed a band while in an insane asylum. He is still around, writing, recording, and performing in Austin, Texas.
Update: Dell computers is using "You're gonna miss me" for their new add campaign. Plus, Roky's song "Anthem" is probably one that I should have mentioned in this post. This line may not be something that is true in mathematics, but metaphysically...."The square root of zero is something smaller than zero, which keeps getting smaller...giving into light. I promise. I promise my green and blue eyes to you." Oh, check out his album "Gremlins Have Pictures". It has some of the stuff mentioned already, but alternate and live versions, too. Plus, really great material not included on the compilation mentioned prior.
In "I Am" he is surrendering himself to the perfect love of Satan. In Roky's case, Satan is his mental illness. He wasn't a Satan worshipper, but was courting his illness, trying to understand it, then break it's heart and leave it.
