CoC : Gehennah - King of the Sidewalk : Review

Gehennah - _King of the Sidewalk_
(Osmose Prod., 1996)
by: Henry Akeley (6 out of 10)

Look out, rock and roll children, because the "gods of mean and dirty street metal" have returned, and if their bio is a reliable document, then you can bet that Mr. Violence and friends are rocking out and getting stinking drunk even as you read these words. Worry not, though: your reviewer is perfectly sober at the moment. See, although I briefly considered the idea of trying to find out just how much sauce it would take to make me really enjoy this band, I quickly decided that this approach would probably land me in the hospital. In other words, I just can't get into Gehennah's brand of Motorhead-inspired, low-concept, early eighties style schlock. Of course, their schlockiness is intentional, as likably silly titles like "Bitch With a Bullet Belt" and "Bang Your Heads for Satan" demonstrate. But all this humor doesn't make the songs any more engaging on a musical level, and frankly, I just get bored by these repetitive exercises in simple, rocking riffing, propulsive bass lines, gruff singing, and slap-happy tempos. If you're really into the basic Motorhead style, you'll probably enjoy Gehennah, and if cornball metalhead humor is your thing, then you'll find this release to be a potent sonic brew indeed. But if, like me, you prefer the more extreme styles that have been distilled in recent years, then steer clear of this outdated swill and stick to the real hard stuff.

(article published 4/2/1997)