Gay For Johnny Depp – What Doesn’t Kill You, Eventually Kills You

Gay for Johnny Depp are the best named band, ever. Fact. Releasing their sophomore album, What Doesn’t Kill You, Eventually Kills You, on the most romantic day of the year (14th February) is a genius move. Fact. Enlisting Grammy-nominated producer Alex Newport, of The Melvins fame, to mix their album means that this will be a hit. Fact. Oh and they have a Kazoo player (Nico Pesticide). Fact.

GFJD have described this album as “the sound of a child being thrown from a carney carousel..” and whilst, on first listen I might have to agree, there is more to this Valentines release. Firstly I must comment on the extraordinary song titles. Tracks such as She Has The Hottest Limp (It’s All Noize) and No, I’m Married To Jesus. Now Keep Your Fucking Hands Off Him are instant winners even before I’ve put the CD on.

The first words of the album are “Take your flunky and dangle”, I must admit I’m not exactly sure what this means but I have a pretty good idea and it acts as a good warning for what I’m about to hear. Opening track Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny and Artistic Integrity is a wall of shouty noise with a melodic chorus of “we’re you’re saviours” and it is here that I understand GFJD have got a good balance of screaming, guitars and tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Track four, Humility Is For People Who Don’t Comprehend Their Own Mortality, is where we can really hear lead singer Marty Leopard sing for the first time and the track, although less heavy, is a welcome break from the screaming of previous songs.

The boys continue to pound your head in short bursts (tracks never exceed three minutes in length) with their raw and mean sounds leaving you gasping for breath come final track Cum On Feel The Boize, an example of their homoerotic lyrics that they’re so well known for. The track is a parody of the well known Slade track, Come On Feel The Noize and is a great ending to an all-round solid album.

www.gayforjohnnydepp.com