From: mw2i+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael Winston Woodring)
Newsgroups: rec.music.industrial
Subject: All-New Foetus Review
Date: 7 Apr 92 17:05:07 GMT
Organization: English As A Second Language Center, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Here is a one sentence summary of 'Male', the new Foetus In Excelsis
Corruptus CD.

It's head and balls above Rife.

Now for a more thorough examination.
My overall impression of the CD is that Foetus did a great job of
combining his live, raw sound with his studio work.  Instead of having
only guitars, drums, and a sample or two, he has a real trombone and a
real violin.  The violin plays a major role in giving the studio sound
to this recording.  Instead of using the instrument as a screech device,
it is used between songs for ambient, 'hunchback whale' calls.  Also, it
is employed generously in the music to add different levels -- unlike
Rife, which was mainly a grunge album.

Another musical bonus is that the playing is very tight.  For many of
the songs, they changed some of the riffs and rhythms from the studio
recordings.  As in Rife, they also added long introductions, but on Male
they are more interesting and varied.  These songs do not come off as,
"Fuck it, we're drunk, we'll play how we want, and who cares," as Rife
sounds at times. The changes are masterly done and give a new twist to
old songs.  One example is I'll Meet You in Poland Baby.  Much of its
beginning is quiet violin; eventually, loud guitars come crashing in,
which add to the violence of the song.  Also, the violin is used instead
of the solo flute sample in Anything (Viva!).  The feeling from that
part of the song changes from the original, but the change is
nonetheless interesting (it slows down the song, almost giving it a
drunk, carnival feel for a second or two).  For some of the songs, they
also added new samples.

The sound quality is also greater than the quality of Rife.  No drop
outs, no extreme fluctuations.  Rife was originally a bootleg, right?

There are two new songs on the CD.  One is Behemoth (originally by Tad).
 They did this song in the latest concerts (although not in Pittsburgh).
 Basically a SubPop song.  It was all right -- didn't strike me as
anything fantastic.  Neither did the other song, Puppet Dude (not a
cover song).  Puppet Dude has a strong "classic rock" sound to it.  Even
its lyrics might be reminiscent of old rock songs; one of the lines is,
"And I think it's gonna be a long, long time."  I haven't studied up on
old Jethro Tull or CCR songs, so I'm at a loss as to if they are old
lyrics.  I'll have to give it a harder listen.  In my opinion, the song
is either a subtle parody or reference of past songs or it just sucks.

Although these songs are weak, they do not detract from the other 13
songs.  The song list is

CD1
* Free James Brown (this song is not as hard and fast as the studio
version or when he did it in Pittsburgh.  However, it is still a good
version, and it is easier to tell what he is singing).
* Fin
* Hot Horse
* English Faggot
* Faith Healer
* Honey I'm Home
* Butterfly Potion
* I'll Meet you in Poland Baby

CD2
* Anything (Viva!)
* Death Rape 2000
* Puppet Dude
* Stumbo
* Someone Drowned in My Pool
* Behemoth
* Your Salvation

I found Male only as an import.  Cost me 30 clams.

And looking at the cover and insert, Jim is into macho trucks now, too.

mike