Godhead - 2000 Years of Human Error

Label: Posthuman Records
Catologue Number: 72435-27289-2-3
Format: CD
Date: 2001
Style: Nu - Metal / Marilyn Manson
Rating: 5/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Godhead were the first band to be signed to Marilyn Manson's Posthuman record label. They have previously released two hard to find releases on their own label, before Brian decided to sign them to his fledgling label. Like their label boss they deal in a modern form of angst rock, based around rock dynamics with a side order of minimal electronics to make them sound ever so slightly more futuristic.

The problem is that Godhead also look and sound like Mr Manson, from the spooky semi-gothic make-up to the song dynamics the whole Godhead package seems like it was creating for Stars In Their Eyes: The Shock Rock years. Yes tonight Matthew, We Godhead want to be Marilyn Manson. Things are not helped by the presence of Mr Manson on the track 'Break you down' a song that could have come have easily appeared on Manson's recent 'Holywood' album.

So apart from the carbon copy-ism is '2000 years any good'? Well is neither great now appalling, just rather conformist in a non conformist hate your parents kind of way. The actually songs aren't actually to bad, although they do stick to a well used formula. This formula is too start with a salvo of electronics either a deep synth bass line or a sinister atmospheric laden intro. Then the vocals and guitars kick in building up to a thrashed out chorus, followed by a slow bit, before the song explodes again. Just like the bulk of alternative rock/metal has been doing since the dawning of time.

Most of the album follows this formula, however tracks like 'Backstander' try to add a few more elements to the mix. This time it's a lopping funk bass line nagging in the background and a piano line hugging the melody. The other stand out track is a cover version of The Beatles 'Eleanor Rigby' which manages to pull of the trick of firstly sounding like Bauhaus jamming with Korn, and secondly is one of very few decent cover versions by Nu-metal bands over the last few years. The others for the record being the Deftones cover of Sade's No Ordinary Love and Orgy's cover of Blue Monday.

The problem for me is that '2000 years' is too weighed down by it's influences. This leads it sounding as an identi-kit effort, one part Marilyn Manson psuedo-goth, one part Korn angst rock and one part sub- Nine Inch Nails industrial rock. Godhead clearly have the talent, but unless they can break away from the obvious source material, they will always be in the orbit of those around them, rather than heading off in their own trajectory. '2000 years of human error' in all honesty should have been named '43 Minutes of Manson emulation'. It will probably be one of those albums that sits in my collection gathering dust never to be listened too again. However I have a feeling that the bulk of alternative music minded kids will probably love it. Too them it will probably sound fresh to be it sounds like a band treading water in an already over populated sea of angry non threatening alt-rock bands.