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Band Name: Godhead
Album Name: The Shadow Line
Rating: 4 / 5 User Rating: 4.4 / 5
Label: Cement Shoes Records
Buy Album: Amazon.com
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Tracklist
1. Trapped In Your Lies
2. Hey You
3. The Gift
4. Fall Down
5. Push
6. Another Day
7. Once Before
8. Unrequited
9. Through The Cracks
10. Goodbye
11. Your End of Days
12. Inside Your World
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Contrary to popular belief, Godhead's first album was not '2000 Years of Human Error', the 2001 Posthuman Records release that featured the Beatles cover 'Eleanor Rigby'. That was the bands first album that got major attention however; due in part to the fact that the Posthuman Records happened to be Marilyn Manson's fledgling record label and '2000 Years' happened to be its first release. Godhead had two EP's that were successful in Europe and two indie albums in America before meeting up with Manson. Manson had obviously been attracted to their industrial influenced rock n' roll because it wasn't too far from his own music and it would make for easy promotion. Godhead opened for Manson on his 'Guns, God, and Government' tour and also got the second stage at Ozzfest while Manson was headlining. I did some research and found very little information on exactly why Godhead split from Posthuman records. Judging from the fact that the only other release on the label besides '2000 Years' was the Blaire Witch 2 Soundtrack though, one gets the impression that Manson pretty much gave up on the idea of having a label. That didn't stop Godhead however, who released 'Evolver' in 2003 on Reality Ent. and are now releasing 'The Shadow Line' on another fledgling label, Cement Shoe Records.
Godhead's earlier albums had a heavy industrial influence, then the band changed its sound to be just a tad more radio friendly on '2000 years'. 'Evolver' ( the title being ironically similar to the Beatles 'Revolver')continued in this direction, and so does 'The Shadow Line'. Slightly radio friendly, industrial tinged, rock music, reminiscent of Filter and Stabbing Westward. The band is definitely out to prove it can write its own hit song and has accomplished its goal; the real question is whether or not the mass audience will notice. One of my personal favorites was 'Another Day', which had one of the catchiest choruses on the album and a dark, churning, bluey feel to it. The song 'Unrequited' is also another noteworthy potential hit song that is sort of a heavy-ish ballad with an epic Pink Floyd quality. 'Your End of Days' had a Beatles influenced trippiness fused with good old glam lead guitar. Little things on the album definitely remind one of Marilyn Manson, especially the 'Mechanical Animals' era Manson, but if you think about it for a minuet you realize that it's really mostly that the two bands share similar influences like David Bowie and the Cure. Godhead has more of a song writer oriented sound than Manson, a lot less effects and funny noises and more clean guitar and vocals. In a way, Godhead is the one industrial band that rarely uses synthesizers.
I saw Godhead open for Rammstein in 2001 and was really impressed by how heavy the band sounded in person compared to its albums. Behind the eyeliner and catchy song writing Godhead is ultimately a rock band, complete with big drums and lead guitar solos. It seems like Godhead got lost in a sea of bands dressed in jerseys at the beginning of this millennium and didn't get the attention it deserves. That is not to say that Godhead wasn't or isn't successful, but it definitely deserves a second chance in the public eye.
Review by: Colette Claire
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