Godbotherer

GODBOTHERER are James (Lammy) (Vocals) Formerly of Carcinoma and Necropsy Joins with Tony Swede (Guitar) formerly of Necropsy and Embittered having had a quiet period assessing the direction of the heavier side of things... 3 years ago started writing songs again and after recording with Lee (Drummer and Drinker) we teamed up with Big Al (Bass) and Paul (Paradiddles) from (Hardcore punk outfit Decline) - now left and replaced by our original drummer Lee. Reinventing the groovier side of the heavier side of things which is captured by the very funky and dark 'Buckle up Bitch' from the EP or the same title. GODBOTHERER are truly a heavy act to witness with both Guitar and Bass being tuned down to C (nearly another string down) you get the idea that live they are very very heavy. With double bass drum and searing snare patterns over Lammy's naturally Death vocals GODBOTHERER will take no prisoners.

Get the BITCH (EP) now while STOCKS last...

Godbotherer are:

NAME: Lammy.
POSITION: Frontman, Vocals, Scary, arrives for rehearsals, from Preston.

SET UP: Natural searing vocals, straight in no effects, tuned to C.

HISTORY: Formerly of Carcinoma and Necropsy now founder member of Godbotherer with Tony. I am probably the most metal in the band, I keep telling that drummer boy to learn to play but he won't listen.

FAVEOURITE BANDS/ARTISTS: Morbid Angel, Entombed, Iron Maiden, Cannibal Corpse, Six Feet Under, Manic Street Preachers, Cancer, Death, Sabbat.

AMBITIONS: To find the C**T who snapped my belt at the Electric Six gig in Preston.

QUOTE:"Are they not here yet?"

NAME: Tony Swede.
POSITION: Guitar, artwork, songwriter, email, arrives late for rehearsals, from Preston.

SET UP: Gibson SG (1974), Two Marshall 4x12 stacks, Marshall head, Strings, straight in no effects. Tuned down to C.

HISTORY: Started playing way back, formerly of Necropsy and Embittered, founder member of Godbotherer. The boy's do as I say, because I come up with all riffs, I am the lynch pin of the band and I can pull the best metal faces on stage.

FAVEOURITE BANDS/ARTISTS: Raging Speed Horn, Ted Nugent, Black Sabbath, Rollins Band, Entombed, Cancer, Death, Budgie.

AMBITIONS: To be as loud as the next guitarist & to never turn down.

QUOTE:"Sorry I am late..."

NAME: Lee Hodges.

POSITION: Drums, Big Boss Man!!

SET UP: Black Drumkit with golden coloured cymbals

HISTORY: Started hitting drums in 1991, played in Preston bands Heretic, Enema and Paradox. Also recorded sessions used on releases by The Blue Man Group, the X-Ecutioners release ‘Revolutions’ feat. Cypress Hill and others.

FAVOURITE BANDS/ARTISTS: Pantera. Slayer, One Minutes Silence, RSH, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Haunted.

AMBITIONS: To not go back to the special hospital, "……I’m feeling much better now!" To have more respect for Tony Godbotherer… which is going to be very difficult!!

QUOTE: "Who the f**k are you?"

NAME: Alan Davis.
POSITION: Bass, manager, promoter, gig arranger, arrives late for rehearsals, from Preston.

SET UP: Alembic Japanese import bass, 600 watt Peavey 2x10, 2x18 cab, 400 watt Peavey Mega Bass amp, tuned to C.

HISTORY: Alan hails from New Rochelle - New York and completed his second year at the Music Department of City College of New York, he really is a magician. He spent his early youth playing in NY cross over metal acts, then moved to UK.

FAVEOURITE BANDS/ARTISTS: Anthrax, The Beatles, Stanley Clarke, Metallica, Prong, Jon Patitucci, Hatebreed, Sheer Terror, Madball, Stromtroopers of Death.

AMBITIONS: "To rok".

QUOTE:"Sorry I am late I'm with Tony..."

GODBOTHERER REVIEWS

December 2004: Review in Daredevil Magazine:...

Wow...I thought the only cool Sludge comes from the States, but it seems that there is a small but damn fine Sludge scene in England too. Godbotherer are what I call a wall. Slow brutaly distored guitars, rumblin´ bass and drums and a voice that gives you a cold shower, cause it´s so full of intensity and hate....a little bit like old Morbid Angel mixed with Thanatos...to keep it short...the voice of a massmurderer...hahaha. I also like the Metal elements in the Godbotherer songs...they remind me a bit of Pantera. I highly recommend Godbotherer. Hopefully these guys will find a good label really soon. This is heavy stuff.

November 13th 2004.. the sound has reached the US.... This was written on http://www.live4metal.com/reviews-221.htm ... Godbotherer - Buckle Up Bitch (demo) Review by Helen

Well I must admit this band have really thrown me; pigeonholing them into a genre is proving to be particularly difficult and to confuse matters further, every time I listen to them I hear a plethora of bands they sound like, yet they manage to maintain a unique sound of their own. What I am sure of though is that this six-track demo is thoroughly enjoyable and impressively original. When first track, “Buckle Up Bitch” kicked in, I really was very bewildered at first. Usually when you hear a band for the first time, you can get a good idea of what they’re all about quite soon into the song but Godbotherer have managed to really challenge me in this respect. The beginning of the track had me thinking towards Entombed era Death, with the vocals having an early-Sentenced feel and at times bordering on Cathedral’s Lee Dorrian with his funky growl of “Let’s Go!”. The riffs and over-all structure are very simplistic but very memorable, almost sludgy at times. Ok, so I’m getting a feel of what this band are all about now, or am I? Just at the end of the track, I wondered what the fuck was going on when I heard the words, “Buckle Up Bitch” being cried out in full falsetto mode duetting with the more deathly growl I had just become used to. And you know what? It really worked! The only other band I know to use this style is Reverend Bizarre and I can imagine that this is a style that will catch on and be adopted a lot more. Now this band had already completely thrown me so I was trying to prepare myself for further tricks they may have up their sleeves but I wasn’t prepared enough. The bass heavy intro of second track, “God Made My Medicine” reminded me of a mixture between Nirvana and The Breeders which is exactly why I could never call this band Death Metal and equally why they are so unique. You may think that from all these eclectic mixes of genres, that this band may sound messy or directionless, but far from it; they sound incredibly comfortable in their own sound. “God Made My Medicine” is an absolutely storming track, certainly my favourite one on the demo mainly due to the super-catchy yet unnervingly odd chorus as well as a funky solo to boot. Again, the falsetto vocals are utilised on this and indeed throughout this demo, which seems to be their trade-mark sound. (Note to self: it does not sound remotely cool to try and mimic this whilst listening to your Walkman at a crowded train station) The ensuing tracks are all equally as captivating with even more influences thrown in the mix- I could even hear Punk, Hardcore and Mathcore influences, and although I’m not a fan of these genres, as I’ve said before, in this context it works really well. Fifth track, “1234” particularly interested me, partly due to the disjointed guitar sound but mainly due to the oddball lyrics…. Do you remember the nursery rhyme type song from Nightmare On Elm Street? “One two, Freddy’s coming for you. Three, four better lock your door” etc etc, well Godbotherer seem to have adopted a similar stance although their line is “five, six, seven, eight, I’ll take you all to masturbate”. Mmmnnn I think I’ll leave it there. Well I could finish by saying the usual “Check this band out. Buy their demo etc” which of course you should do! But I’ll leave them with an even bigger compliment, which is that bands like these make writing reviews a truly rewarding experience. Superb! www.godbotherer.co.uk

'Many thanks to Live4Metal..

May 12th 2004 Roachville & Godbotherer This was a great night for music... Godbotherer opened the night brilliantly pounding out the fat heaviness, which we all enjoy. Damn tight solid riffs and seething vocals, an actual metal vocalist that can sing unlike a lot of stuff around. An impressive band that we would like to see more of. If I can get this band again I would like to put them on in bigger venues

Feb 8th 2004 This is a CD review on RAW-NERVE "The opening of title track, "Buckle up, b*tch" starts off pretty upbeat, a touch of the death-roll made famous by Entombed creeps into the sound and style. Vocally heavier, but still very definitely half-death metal and half rocking sound, akin to the last Carcass album 'Swansong', and add in some definite stoner influences, such as Beaten Back to Pure, Cathedral and Down. Pretty varied sound, nothing overtly complex, but they pull it all together well with a tight and powerful sound. The vocals are strong, deep and would certainly not be out of place fronting a full on death metal band. Occasionally, the backing vocals come in, confusingly, but somehow working, with their higher pitched warblings, and combining with the gutterals, this sounds bizarre, pretty original and actually very cool. This EP definitely gets better as it progresses though, at first I wasn't 100% sold on the idea of God Botherer, but the stand out bluesy track "Tungsten Towers", which is a pure teaser, I am much more keen. The mood of this is unbearable as the slow breaks make you wait, and wait.... and WAIT!!! Gotta love the dynamics! "1234" almost threatens to do the same, the main riff is most odd, but sounds excellent in its simple form, and the sinister closer "As I reload" rounds things off well.In fact, sinister, simple, original but good sums the whole thing up pretty well."

Feb 6th 2004 This a CD review is on LOSING-TODAY "From the moment frontman James aka 'Lammy' lets rip with his throaty penetrating vocals, 'Godbotherer' make your skin crawl and head move with their pulsating bass-riddled strings and thrashing drumskins. Here begins my introduction to (75%) Preston metal-band Godbotherer. On the back of a popular gig at hot, new venue “The Mill” in Preston, this EP has been released through the band which is arousing hot local interest. It should be. The BPM count escalates through the opening seconds of “Buckle Up Bitch” and rarely lets up. For the musically inclinated, the bands strings are tuned down to C, and create a much heavier, and noticeably darker sound.

“Within her conscious fantasy, when she comes to play.
Fall to your Knees bitch, the time has come to play.”

At the end of this track is the well-used slow-climbing guitar riff that builds up to Paul’s drum-smashing with Lammy’s throaty ripping vocal “Buckle Up Bitch” with falsetto from Alan, in no way akin to "the Darkness". “God Made My Medicine” commences after a short guitar riff with an intro reminiscent of “Nevermind” by Nirvana. There the similarities rest as the vocals are rawer and induce more pain then the late Mr Cobain’s relatively harmonious soul-bearing. The song is well stitched together and although very heavy, as is all the material here, any listener will be humming &tell me how I feel inside!” for weeks. More falsetto is supplied mid track and it works very well. Third track “Why don’t you wake up” is a solid tune and places well on the EP. It doesn’t quite exert the same passion as the prior tracks although finishing up-tempo and remaining a quality piece of music. &Tungsten Towers” teases the listener with a tentative, strumming bass and some light drumming. This track lies mid-set and again places well on the EP. After inducing a trance with their bass-line, Lammy suddenly let’s rip again and you remember clearly where you are. “1234” is a racy, pulsating track which bounces for over a minute, takes a breath and clutches you again. After not too long Lammy lets rip in cheeky style: &1,2,3,4 - let the turd hit the floor; 5,6,7,8 - I’ll take them home to masturbate”

Final track on the EP is the clever, misleading track “As I Reload” starting as a simple bass line, the track crashes whilst at speed and creates new directions like a sprawling 'pit at a live set, demanding full-participation by all listeners. On this note, it is unfair to listen to Godbotherer’s EP “Buckle Up Bitch” as a sole, home-based experience. Music like this needs to be taken away from the live gig as a not-so-gentle reminder of the night’s live experience. I can only wholeheartedly recommend downloading the MP3s on the website and opening your ears to this new band. I shall be looking to attend a live gig soon. You should too.

[Godbotherer are Lammy (vox), Paul (drums), Tony (guitar), Alan (Bass/vox)].
PAUL VALENTINE"

Jan 10th 2004 This is a review from HYPER-VALUE who do the FUZZY nights at Preston 'The MILL' - Godbotherer - Rammstein & Sabbath meet Cradle of Filth meets Incubus (when they still had balls). Exciting Preston 'black'-metallers, with some strong vocals, the kind of beats you can break walls to, and the occasional burst of guitar screechery that would just thrill Darkness fans.

MORE REVIEWS OF THIS SHOW: PRESTONE.CO.UK - Doktorb said "...Godbotherer are in a wholly different class. With a loyal crowd of followers, and a great line in converting an entire crowd to their cause, Godbotherer stand above almost all other Fuzzy bands on professionalism alone. The reaction to their set was unprecedented for a Fuzzy band. Women growled, men stretched out their hands in desperation, a 23 year old spectacled reviewer feared for his life. On stage, the show was beautiful and gruesome. Old school metal with a contemporary heavy-rock vocal style, the songs could have been from anytime in metal’s history, but Godbotherer made each one very much a classic of their own doing. If I have to criticise them, and they are quite scary so I don’t want to, I would suggest dropping the &Gay Bar’ cover. It’s old, it’s not funny, and was somewhat out of place. However, pedantic thoughts aside, their thunderous guitars and incredibly robust vocals impressed instantly, uniting old punks and Kerrang-chic girls alike. Much appreciation all round..."

Russ (www.hypervalue.co.uk) said "...You're right about the Godbotherer trick of pulling the whole crowd over to them...

Monotony of Asylum said "...and god botherer well you'll only get a biased view of me as i fuckin love their stuff.... I would like to see them cover ace of spades agine though. I have to say that the crowd was immence they were better than any of the bands that were on it has to be said hats off to them lets see more like that in the future eh!..."

Markoos said "...For me, the highlight of the evening was Godbotherer. Sounding like Symbolic-era Death with elements of Deicide in there, they offer crunching extreme metal at it’s best. The vocalist growled furiously with an impressive sonic maelstrom coming from the rest of the band. And what impressive death spins... (wish I had hair that long!)...The audience having gone frankly apeshit for Godbotherer..."