God Lives Underwater – Up Off The Floor

written by: Cory Q

The first time I heard the tumultuous fusion of hard rock and buzzing electronic music was when I was doing radio in college. It was either my station manager, Ben, or a guy who did the show called “Lick Yourself Bald”, Javen, that first played this instantly catchy and aggressive tune for me. The tune was called “No More Love” by God Lives Underwater. I played the album that spawned this tune, Empty, a lot after that both on the radio and at my apartment. Those college days have passed and after one more album, the petulant and unfocused effort Life in the So Called Space Age, I figured so had God Lives Underwater. I was wrong. GLU has come back stronger than ever with their third album Up Off The Floor.

Driven by the creative force of Jeff Turzo and David Reilly, GLU has moved to their third record label in as many outings (The first thing they released was a self titled EP on American Records. Their first album, the afore mentioned Empty was on the same label.) and this time the mix is right on. Up Off The Floor is a ten track, 41 minute, rockfest. Mixing programmed electronics with synthesizer and hashed up guitars under understated and dismissive vocals is still a winning combination. The rock elements are heavier on this album then their previous ones which makes for a grinding, heavy, but more consistent listening experience. The lyrical delivery has also matured noticeably. Think of Nine Inch Nails here. OnPretty Hate Machine Trent Reznor sounds like a whiney bitch but by the time he gets to Broken he is pissed and tight. The same thing is going on here. The delivery is now not so much sleepy and disinterested or yelled instead of sang. This new vocalization style makes for a stronger album overall.

The stand out cuts here are the lead track “White Noise”, “1% (The Long Way Down)” and “Slip To Fall”. The only tune I care to do without is “History”. I figure that is a pretty good average for ten tracks.

Up Off The Floor is a better than average album. The low churning noise that comes out of the speakers when you turn it up will always have a place in my music rotation. I am glad these guys didn’t dissolve like Gravity Kills. I saw both acts, at different times, at the now defunct birth place of great Minnesota music, First Avenue in Minneapolis*. GLU was opening for Lords of Acid. It was a great show all the way around. They always remind me of my younger, angrier days when I used to go to smokey overcrowded dives to see really loud bands.

So, if you are in the market for a heavy rock album with the right touch of electronic influence mixed in with depressing lyrics and an overall mood that is as grey as a late autumn afternoon, then Up Off The Floor is for you. I give it a “pretty good” rating.

* Last time I was down in that neighborhood of Minneapolis I noticed that a Hard Rock Café had been built right across the street from First Avenue and all I could think was “Great. Now where rock is born is right next to where rock goes to die”. I will miss First Avenue immensely.

Original Date: 2004-00-00
Original URL: http://www.monkeyrivertown.com/brains.php?CAT=10