Monday, July 1, 2013

GGFH - "Disease" [1993]

Artist: GGFH
Title: Disease
Genre: Industrial
Country: USA
Year: 1993

Track List:
  1. Flesh
  2. Room 213
  3. Hands
  4. DMDR
  5. Disease
  6. Real
  7. Dark Powers
  8. Plasterchrist
It's always very hard to review the albums that have reached a cult status (even among the limited audience), but I'll try. GGFH (Global Genocide Forget Heaven) was formed in Oakland (CA) as early as in 1986. It started as an one-man project (during 1992-1993 - a duo) which released 3 albums during 1992-1994, and one more LP in 2005. "Disease" is the second and the best work of GGFH, featuring such amazing tracks as "Room 213", "DMDR", "Real", and "Plasterchrist". Despite being an electronic/noise project, GGFH always was associated with the metal scene, touring with such bands as Fear Factory and My Dying Bride. Even though the misanthropic and nihilistic views espoused by GGFH indeed remind me of "true" black metal scene, the "shock tactics" and lyrical themes of GGFH actually aren't that far from early industrial projects like Throbbing Gristle, and "monolithic industrial" such as Dead World. Musically, it's very dark (yet catchy and melodic at times) electronic stuff with recitative-like vocals. Unlike the subsequent GGFH albums like "Serrated Smile", "Disease" isn't very "noisy", but it doesn't make it more accessible for the average listener. The closing track, "Plasterchrist" stands out as the most minimalistic yet melodic one on the album: repetitive voice samples over a simplistic keyboard melody, creating a very hypnotic atmosphere... As far as I know,  the speech in the beginning of the track is a funeral oration in old Hungarian language:

"Látjátok feleim szümtükkel, mik vogymuk.
Is a pur és homu vogymuk.
Es mend paradisumben mundá néki élnie.
Heon tilutoá őt egy fa gyimilsétől. Gye mundoá
neki meret nüm eneyc. Is a kis napon emdül az gyimilstől halálnek halálával holsz. Hallá holtát, terümtevé istentül gye feledévé.
Engede ürdüng intetüinek es evék az tilvutt gyimilstül.
És az gyimilsben halálut evék..."

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