I admit that I was surprised to see this one come down the pike. Lords of Acid hail from Belgium, and have been making industrial techno music laced with not-so-subtle sexual lyrics since 1988. My primary knowledge of the band stems from their 1997 album Our Little Secret, which featured the entendre-laden “Pussy” and the even more transparent “Spank My Booty.” I really haven’t given much thought to Lords of Acid in the intervening decade, but it turns out that they’re still together and are soon to release the Little Mighty Rabbit EP.
Ahead of release, the band has released a video for the title cut, a tribute to one of the more popular varieties of non-human female companionship. The video is borderline NSFW, though no actual nudity is involved. The racy video doesn’t feature any of the band members, instead opting for shots of scantily clad women writhing in the boudoir.
http://youtu.be/ThlylbkEjAk
Although some may find the video titillating, it strikes me as pretty cliched, especially for this genre, especially for this band. This is fitting for the song however, which would sound right at home on their 1997 LP. What this means is that in the course of 14 years, Lords of Acid haven’t made any strides in their creative evolution. Still making thick synthy, thumping (and now anachronistic) industrial-techno, still capitializing on the shock value of blatantly sexual lyrics. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no prude when it comes to lyrical content (Hello, Prince). But one of my biggest musical pet peeves is when artists fail to progress and continue to develop their sound. This was always my problem with Rage Against the Machine for example who made a great debut album, but then repeated that album four times.
The difference is that in addition to not progressing musically, Lords of Acid continue to rely on the gimmick of rampant eroticism in their lyrics and visual media. Maybe that’s all that they care to do, and I suppose that’s fine too. But in the end, it just makes them seem like a novelty act, and the novelty has gotten incredibly stale.
Little Mighty Rabbit hits physical and digital shelves on September 27.
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4 comments
C Roxie Gee says:
Sep 10, 2011
I hardly consider Lords of Acid a novelty act. They may have lyrics overflowing with sexual content, but I am not at all “shocked”. Anyone that would find shock value in their lyrics or visual stimuli is obviously sexually repressed. Calling their music stale tells me only one thing – you have erectile dysfunction. As far as their musical progression goes I believe they have utilized musical technology better than most artists in their genre. Do you want them to throw in a 303 lead, 808 bass, and a few dubstep wobbles and call it a day? There are enough local amateurs with a mouse+keyboard+pirated copy of fruity loops to cover that. No thanks.
Dirk Dickhead says:
Sep 10, 2011
Far be it for me to be overly critical of someone for their opinion of music, because I tend to hold just as strong views as the writer of this critique. However, I feel it is absolutely necessary to state this. The writer in this instance has completely missed the point.
Lords of Acid are not about expanding people’s minds and proselytizing their views. They are about pure, campy, unadulterated fun. That is obvious as far back as songs like “I Must Increase My Bust”. I mean, let’s face it here, if you expect the band that created songs like “Marijuana in Your Brain” and “Pussy (Round)” to get serious, then you are the one with the problem.
They are also not trying to pass themselves off as something new and exciting here. Basically, when you listen to a Lords of Acid album, you expect campy, hyper-sexualized, and very likely drug fueled lyrics. End of story.
Basically what I am saying here, is if you are looking for something serious, something that is going to get your brain moving, you should look elsewhere and leave the review of THIS album to people who are only looking for fun. Because that is all Lords of Acid is trying to give us, and that is all anyone should expect from them.
Sir Sister Steve says:
Sep 13, 2011
I have to agree with the above comments here. No one listens to LOA for their deep and meaningful lyrics. We want sex, we want cheesy, we want acid laced techno! The more moans and groans the better!! Get the stick outta your butt and learn how to Praise The Lords!!
Gonzo says:
Sep 13, 2011
To each their own, but let the record show my problem isn’t that I find the lyrics or imagery offensive, it’s that this sounds exactly like the shit they were doing 15 years ago.