Drums Are For Parades - Enjoy Your Psychosis

Featuring Chris Goss.

Free download available here: http://www.drumsareforparades.net/

Goon Moon – Licker’s Last Leg

(Ipecac Recordings, 2007)

A horrendous screaking sound greets the listener on Licker’s Last Leg, an album as disconcerting as it is alluring. Goon Moon sees Chris Goss (Masters of Reality) and Jeordie White (Twiggy Ramirez from Marilyn Manson) come together to produce an album which displays a collage feelings and emotions. The riffs and vocals are somewhat catchy, however the feel of the album is delightfully eerie with some disturbingly beautiful lyrics.

Bake the children in the pies.

Licker’s Last Leg is a mix of experimental, eclectic, industrial, and gothic rock, but despite this is very accessible. All this is not too surprising given the ingredients which see Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails) join Goss and White on this “lovingly crafted journey”.

Sat at the bar with a skull mask on.

Chatty Cathy hasn’t spoke for weeks.

A few songs here could quite easily have appeared on QOTSA’s Era Vulgaris which was released the same year and, like all QOTSA releases, produced by Chris Goss. My Machine and Feel Like This in particular have the same feel about them and underline the impact Goss has on both Josh Homme and QOTSA. This album proves just as catchy, possibly even more so, however the dark tone is not so radio friendly and perhaps too misunderstood for Goon Moon to fully take off.

Toss the sisters in the ditch.

Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You is a cover of one of The Bee Gees early, pre-disco tracks. In this instance the song seemingly floats from its psychedelic upbringing into the loving arms of Goss and White where it becomes sharp and mature. Both this and An Autumn Which Came Too Soon could possibly be described as electro-folk, illustrating just how diverse his album is, all the while staying somewhat uniform.

I’ve got a pocket full of gum – Yum!

The album culminates in eight-part The Golden Ball which could be an album on its own and demonstrates Goss and White’s skill in seamlessly hopping from one style to another. This truly is a masterful blend where the boundaries of disturbing and dark experimentation have been pushed closer to a more popular form of alternate rock.

Mashed potatoes, Uncle Sam, apple pie, honey baked ham.

Masters of Reality – Pine/Cross Dover

(Brownhouse, 2009)

Desert rock pioneer Chris Goss continues to plod along with Masters of Reality in between all the other projects he has going on. 2009 saw the release of Pine/Cross Dover, their sixth studio album, and first since 2004.

King Richard TLH sets the mood with a typical upbeat Masters of Reality melody with soothing vocals over intricate guitar playing. Absinthe Jim And Me the upbeat dreamlike feel of the opening track and turns it on its head; an alarming few seconds leads the listener into a dark and mysterious new world, building up a sense of danger towards Worm In The Silk where the female backing vocals give the looming threat an eerie religious like feel to it. Perhaps this is appropriate given we are listening to a desert rock god. takes

Always provides a classic Masters of Reality mix of trippy rock before Johnny’s Dream once again lures the listener into an odd dreamy/nightmarish like state, reminiscent of the work of Goon Moon. The first five tracks make up Pine, a much darker side compared to the second half Cross Dover.

Up In It has all the modern desert rock characteristics, illustrating the influence Goss has over the likes of Josh Homme. Dreamtime Stomp, Rosie’s Presence, and The Whore Of New Orleans have a timeless quality and wouldn’t be out of place on any Masters of Reality album.

The dark, brooding Testify To Love has Goss searching for, and finding, hope and strength; this signals an end to the album before closing track Alfalfa provides a wonderfully improvised, 12 minute long, instrumental.

Pine/Cross Dover, an album which flew under the radar somewhat when it was released, takes the listener through a range of dreamlike stages, bordering on psychedelic, before the listener is put back at ease by the close; Goss’ distinctive, and at times delicate vocals often contrast the dark feel created by heavy bass and droning guitar.