Baby Godzilla are fast becoming rather notorious for being absolutely insane live. By this I don’t mean “really good live” insane, more so “cleaver-wielding lunatic” insane; amp-vaulting, drum kit-around-the-room, sweat-streaming joy and fury. Like your mildly off-kilter friend who makes you laugh whilst also striking the fear of God in to you.
This theme from their live show continues to the studio on their new EP effort Knockout Machine; tracks frenzy among a torrent of screaming guitars and screeching vocals, the unabashed chaos being held together by an equally berserk rhythm section. However from within this disorder is an interspersed mixture of satisfying riffs and structure; the listener is given just enough to cling on to, which Baby Godzilla then gleefully take away.
What is perhaps the band’s greatest strength on record is how much personality is able to shine through; lyrical hooks such as “You’re all whores and I’m Jack the Ripper” illustrate a macabre yet ultimately harmless sense of humour, although it is also evident through the mere exuberance of their performance that they are quite simply having a great time. Not since Pulled Apart by Horses’ eponymous debut has a band sounded so cheerfully violent.
This ride will make your shoulders ache, knock your teeth out and give you a nosebleed. And after all of this you’ll still be screaming “let’s go again”.
8/10
Released 28/8/13: self-release
Baby Godzilla play with Black Spiders and Hawk Eyes at the Soul Cellar on Thursday 10th October.
