CDReview: Revolting Cocks, Sex-O Olympic-O

Revolting Cocks

Sex-O Olympic-O

(13^th Planet)

It’s our fifth day in Hawaii! Elle and I have had some crazy love kinda fun: watching the volcano flow, cliff diving (her, not me), a helicopter ride around the isle, maybe sneaking onto the set of Lost, but no more tattoos. At this point, I think we are both receiving Blue Hawaiians intravenously. It has been madness, sheer madness, yet also a really fun time. And with our departure flight first thing in the morning, we decided on one more night out on the island; we wanted to go to a small club that played some underground industrial music.

For safety’s sake, we packed everything before our night’s adventure because it would probably be late in the night/early in the morning to do so. The way our outings have gone, we would have time for a shower and change before resort checkout and our last minute dash to the airport. It’s not that we plan to run late, it just happens with us. We have planned to do things earlier before, but something always seems to get in the way.

First things first, Elle and I went to our final luau and enjoyed the food and fine entertainment. We both agreed we would miss the huge meal on the beach with newfound friends. Soon after, we took pictures and exchanged emails with friends and said our goodbyes. An offer was extended to some of the crowd to come out with us, but they opted to stay closer to the resort and enjoy the night air.

Upon leaving the nighttime dinner we hailed a taxi and relayed our destination to the speakeasy club Elle had found out about. The driver knew of the place and said it was an okay club to attend if one had grown tired of the local beach lounges. I paid the man and walked down the street to where Club Gio was housed under dark light.

A few minutes of waiting in line and a few dollars later, we were in the latest sardines to be squeezed into the musical can. It reminded me of this club back in Texas sporting black walls all throughout the venue with the logos of bands that have performed there spray painted in various neon colors. Within the club—on the dance floor, as well as on tables and the bar—there must have been a couple of hundred bodies, all grinding and pulsating to the industrial music blasting. It was good music but not as good as back in the day, I explained to Elle. Come to think of it, it was just like Revolting Cocks and how each lineup had a different approach to industrial music with each release. Since the “RevCo” catalog would take quite some time to run through, I decided to focus on the new release and explain it to her.

Sex-O Olympic-O is the latest release that continues Revolting Cocks’ tradition of humor amidst a sleazy, sticky industrial backdrop. However, where the humor was once intelligent and groundbreaking has given way to silliness…but it works great and fits with the music concept.  This is due to a new and diverse lineup change for RevCo. The varying changes that have taken place since the band’s conception has grown into a new era with Al Jourgensen remaining the lone founding member. Though semi retired, he was just going to produce the release but was so impressed with the material he performed on the recording with newcomers Josh Bradford, Sin Quirin, and Clayton Worbeck. The new lineup definitely fit the RevCo mold, but moves the refurbished industrial super group into a dancing glittery glam parade fest with adolescent humor throughout the lyrics. It is fun, but yet bizarre; therefore living up to the group’s moniker.

The overall product is pleasantly and surprisingly very good, but to an extent has a rehashed feel; not to crumble the edge, but some of the music does seem familiar. At the same time it is musically more unified than previous RevCo CDs with heavy grinding industrial blend as well as the lighter but popular club trendy danceable beats to balance out. A stripper will love this release! Sex-O Olympic-O is rhythmically fascinating providing a flowing groove and supporting the abrasive and shredding guitar parts. Very interesting the way the guitar parts are worked throughout the recording: heavy and dominating on some tracks and played down within other more keyboard dominant material, but constantly providing good hooks.

Sex-O Olympic-O features a track that strongly displays the heavier pace of the CD with Keys to the City (Vegas Mix), a twisted and tweaked version of the original. Where the song has the mysticism that RevCo provides in presentation, musically it has the modern texture and sinister styling of Marilyn Manson. Embracing the groove feel of their is Red Parrot, which highlights RevCo’s sexy sound with crunching guitars providing the ultimate groove for a sleazy sludge fest. This one will be become a stripper’s favorite next to her pole, especially with a line like “She's got style/ the way she shakes her ass”. Showing their lighter compositions, Cousins is a twisted and humorous tale of incest. It is very poppy and club friendly, but at the same time has elements of late 80’s gothic new wave channeling Love and Rockets. I have to admit that I am more into the first half of than the second; simply because the songs start to blend more and more into the other. The music is good, but just seems to start repeating itself, and not evolving. Sex-O Olympic-O is the third release cranked out by Uncle Al in the past couple of years. Believe me, I am more than happy to have the material, but would just wish he would linger in the moment just a little while longer…

By 3AM, I had made my point to Elle, but not that she would remember with all the dancing. I did join her on the dance floor once, but that was it. With the time sneaking up on us, we once again haled a taxi and shuttled our way back to the resort. Our last night on the isle state was a fun but loud one. We both enjoyed how secret the club seemed to be with a good crowd; they stayed in good spirits and not too rowdy and dominating. By this point, my body was letting me know it needed some rest.

The two of us had enough time to shower, change, gather the luggage, then make a mad dash to the airport. Our vacation had been lovely and adventurous, but it was time for Elle and me to return to Texas before they made us leave. Of course I received all sorts of attention and weird looks throughout the airport: Elle was tired and sleepy (a first for her), and I was carrying her over my shoulder.

Once onboard, she was seated, belted, covered up, and resting her head on my shoulder: she was set for our long trip home. I, too, was quite tired and ready for some much needed sleep. I also prayed for no lost landing; it would be nice, but I was longing for the Lone Star State.

After landing and a slight layover in Los Angeles, a few hours later we were back in Texas and 45 minutes away from our beach cabins. Elle was still sleepy, so she crawled into the back of the Hummer as I drove back to Galveston. Just as leaving Hawaii once back on the Texas isle, I got another workout: first unloading the luggage, then the coma-like slumber of Sleeping Beauty Elle. I have to hand it to her, she can party like a rock star and sleep like one as well! I carried her up the steps then dropped her in my bed and went to take a shower. I was bone tired (even after the sleeping on the flight) and a little sore; a nice hot shower was just the cure.

“Are we thah yet?”  Elle asked. I couldn’t tell if she was talking in her sleep or awake and curious. I answered anyway and said we were back in my cabin. She began chatting about having to leave for home in the morning, but I blew that off as well; probably more sleep talk; Lord knows I am guilty of that myself, really bad too. If anything, we could carry a conversation together in our sleep.

Once out of the shower, I settled into bed and closed my heavy eyes for some deep “Elle like” sleep. The sounds of the waves outside were once again guiding me to rest…that is, until Elle rolled over and swing her arm, slapping me right across the chest!

Now to find that happy, sleepy wave again…