Taken from '40 Years of Goth: Essential Albums from the Genre’s Beginnings':
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Sex Gang Children - Viva Vigilante!
It’s been so long since we’ve had a Sex Gang album proper you might ask
where a Sex Gang album starts and an Andi one ends, but I have an
answer for you. It’s the feel, isn’t it? There is more of a unified
flow here. While Andi’s albums have a warren of exits, this has one
entrance and one way out. Alongside Andi we have the mighty pairing of
Kevin Matthews and Matthew Saw, as potent a nucleus as you could need,
but with added input from the great Cam Campbell, Carl Magnusson and
Adrian Portas. The dream team!
It gets off to a breezy wonder start with guitar slithering beneath
forever active lyrics, Andi stuck in the middle of the music. It’s
sonic-solid, powerfully picturesque stuff, is ‘Hollywood Slim.’
‘Religion Free Zone’ is interesting because in 2013 Andi has
considered the idea religion is divisive. He gets there in the end!
(“What’s this decimalisation business I keep hearing about?”) The
music is whipped up raggedly around him as he sings high, relaxed and
piping. ‘Conversation’ then gets weirder, with Saw’s devious guitar
trailing hypnotically away as the rhythm burrows into the ground and
Andi lets rip with some dramatic declarations. ‘Salamun Child’ is one
of those fabulously murky tunes full of activity with literary lyrics
fluttering their lashes at our struggling minds and in a way reminds
me, despite being more leisurely and restrained, of the feel from
“Song & Legend” so there is a link.
Drowsier in tone ‘The Messenger’ is equally torrid and weirdly
imaginative (“kill your suspected informer, the revolving door
lawyer”) before ‘Bleed England’ slumps graciously, gently scornful.
‘Sunset of Crow’ is stocky and pulses slowly but with a light heady
spirit so we have a different Sex Gang sound evident, while the
intrinsic feel is still there. It doesn’t froth and have stylish
seizures, it emotes craftily. ‘All American Heart’ is a morose
dwindling spark, ‘Genocide Trend’ an oddly warm thing, like Bowie had
come back as a thoughtful zombie.
‘Death Squad Diva’ hums greatness, the drums vicious intent matched by
the bass flow and some sensational guitar stalking the perimeter. As
it crunches along so Andi is as exposed in the midst of the prickly
sound the way Rozz was in early Christian Death, the splinters barely
touching him. Then ‘Die Traube’, which was on Andi’s ‘The Devil’s
Cabaret’ and could be seen as the new ‘Les Amants D'Un Jour’ if you
will. Fabulously dramatic and explosively passionate as though Andi
had joined Carter USM this is absolutely stunning and I’ll play this
Sunday to dazzle any doubting ears. ‘Urania’ is a post-ambient spot of
dignified weirdness which didn’t near to be here, although it’s icily
attractive, then ‘Pigs to Men’ is a tainted whisper which is about to
get going when it vanishes!
Mainly fantastic, occasionally odd, which comes with the territory,
this is something you cannot get tired of. It’s superb.
where a Sex Gang album starts and an Andi one ends, but I have an
answer for you. It’s the feel, isn’t it? There is more of a unified
flow here. While Andi’s albums have a warren of exits, this has one
entrance and one way out. Alongside Andi we have the mighty pairing of
Kevin Matthews and Matthew Saw, as potent a nucleus as you could need,
but with added input from the great Cam Campbell, Carl Magnusson and
Adrian Portas. The dream team!
It gets off to a breezy wonder start with guitar slithering beneath
forever active lyrics, Andi stuck in the middle of the music. It’s
sonic-solid, powerfully picturesque stuff, is ‘Hollywood Slim.’
‘Religion Free Zone’ is interesting because in 2013 Andi has
considered the idea religion is divisive. He gets there in the end!
(“What’s this decimalisation business I keep hearing about?”) The
music is whipped up raggedly around him as he sings high, relaxed and
piping. ‘Conversation’ then gets weirder, with Saw’s devious guitar
trailing hypnotically away as the rhythm burrows into the ground and
Andi lets rip with some dramatic declarations. ‘Salamun Child’ is one
of those fabulously murky tunes full of activity with literary lyrics
fluttering their lashes at our struggling minds and in a way reminds
me, despite being more leisurely and restrained, of the feel from
“Song & Legend” so there is a link.
Drowsier in tone ‘The Messenger’ is equally torrid and weirdly
imaginative (“kill your suspected informer, the revolving door
lawyer”) before ‘Bleed England’ slumps graciously, gently scornful.
‘Sunset of Crow’ is stocky and pulses slowly but with a light heady
spirit so we have a different Sex Gang sound evident, while the
intrinsic feel is still there. It doesn’t froth and have stylish
seizures, it emotes craftily. ‘All American Heart’ is a morose
dwindling spark, ‘Genocide Trend’ an oddly warm thing, like Bowie had
come back as a thoughtful zombie.
‘Death Squad Diva’ hums greatness, the drums vicious intent matched by
the bass flow and some sensational guitar stalking the perimeter. As
it crunches along so Andi is as exposed in the midst of the prickly
sound the way Rozz was in early Christian Death, the splinters barely
touching him. Then ‘Die Traube’, which was on Andi’s ‘The Devil’s
Cabaret’ and could be seen as the new ‘Les Amants D'Un Jour’ if you
will. Fabulously dramatic and explosively passionate as though Andi
had joined Carter USM this is absolutely stunning and I’ll play this
Sunday to dazzle any doubting ears. ‘Urania’ is a post-ambient spot of
dignified weirdness which didn’t near to be here, although it’s icily
attractive, then ‘Pigs to Men’ is a tainted whisper which is about to
get going when it vanishes!
Mainly fantastic, occasionally odd, which comes with the territory,
this is something you cannot get tired of. It’s superb.
Review by Mick Mercer
And the history says…
“One of the groups coming up at the same time as Southern Death Cult was Sex Gang Children, and Andi — he used to dress like a Banshees fan, and I used to call him the Gothic Goblin because he was a little guy, and he's dark. He used to like Édith Piaf and this macabre music, and he lived in a building in Brixton called Visigoth Towers. So he was the little Gothic Goblin and his followers were Goths. That's where GOTH came from.”
Ian Astbury of The Cult, (Alternative Press Nov. 1994).
In case you didn't know that’s the origin for the term Goth Music, Gothic Rock. I love the music of Sex Gang Children; those glorious times of “Song And Legend”, that exquisite album called “Medea”, or the impressive “Bastard Art”, this is to name at least a few of the wonderful albums created by this band through the years.
Andi Sex Gang is a one of a kind artist: He is innovative, provocative, and passionate. He is a prolific song-writer with unlimited imagination and arousing sensibility. The work of Andi Sex Gang has an experimental edge: As an artist he dares to go to unexpected places, and he does this like nobody else. The magic of Sex Gang Children resides in the fact that this artist always captures the on-stage experience, and he translates this experience in to great albums (And I’m talking here of Sex Gang Children and his solo-albums as well).
“Hollywood Slim” kick starts this new record; this track is powerful and unique: The rhythm section has a hammering and heavy pace; the guitar work adds the proper dose of electricity, and the voice waxes and wanes with unique grace here.
“Religion Free Zone” is another mid-tempo song with a delicious combination of overwhelming density and fluent acoustic sound; great song!
“Conversation” is theatrical with some surreal noir-film suspense, and distorted atmosphere; this is a very brief track and it is interesting.
“Salamun Child” is simply delicious; and Andi Sex gang is a master creating these songs with this influence of Oriental music, this song has a captivating exoticism.
“The Messenger” is acoustic sound accompanied by this highly-dramatic vocal performance, ¡What an artist!
“Bleed England” is so emotive; it has entrancing melody and passion.
“Sunset Of Crow” goes darkly acoustic, and it’s kinda epic.
”All American Heart” has some psychedelic melancholy and introspection (remember that tribute album to Marianne Faithful)
“Genocide Trend” has playful spirit and some very special energy.
“Death Squad Diva” has this high- voltage guitar sound and arousing density, Andi combines these elements with his very distinctive melodic passages, and the result is just mind blowing; I love this track!
“Die Traube” is the opposite side regarding to the previous track, because it is like an oasis of peace and serenity (at the beginning) the musical tension goes in crescendo and this song reaches some peaks of high intensity.
“Urania” is hallucinating atmosphere; this one sounds like if someone is catching strange waves from the outer-space.
“Pigs To Men” combines the pace of a ballad with some crushing strength it’s a very unique song.
I say this again: Andi Sex Gang is a great artist; he has been in a non-stop creative process since the 80’s, and he is having a great moment here with this album. I’m very pleased with this release by Sex Gang Children
¡Viva Vigilante! And ¡Viva Sex Gang Children!
Andi Sex Gang is a one of a kind artist: He is innovative, provocative, and passionate. He is a prolific song-writer with unlimited imagination and arousing sensibility. The work of Andi Sex Gang has an experimental edge: As an artist he dares to go to unexpected places, and he does this like nobody else. The magic of Sex Gang Children resides in the fact that this artist always captures the on-stage experience, and he translates this experience in to great albums (And I’m talking here of Sex Gang Children and his solo-albums as well).
“Hollywood Slim” kick starts this new record; this track is powerful and unique: The rhythm section has a hammering and heavy pace; the guitar work adds the proper dose of electricity, and the voice waxes and wanes with unique grace here.
“Religion Free Zone” is another mid-tempo song with a delicious combination of overwhelming density and fluent acoustic sound; great song!
“Conversation” is theatrical with some surreal noir-film suspense, and distorted atmosphere; this is a very brief track and it is interesting.
“Salamun Child” is simply delicious; and Andi Sex gang is a master creating these songs with this influence of Oriental music, this song has a captivating exoticism.
“The Messenger” is acoustic sound accompanied by this highly-dramatic vocal performance, ¡What an artist!
“Bleed England” is so emotive; it has entrancing melody and passion.
“Sunset Of Crow” goes darkly acoustic, and it’s kinda epic.
”All American Heart” has some psychedelic melancholy and introspection (remember that tribute album to Marianne Faithful)
“Genocide Trend” has playful spirit and some very special energy.
“Death Squad Diva” has this high- voltage guitar sound and arousing density, Andi combines these elements with his very distinctive melodic passages, and the result is just mind blowing; I love this track!
“Die Traube” is the opposite side regarding to the previous track, because it is like an oasis of peace and serenity (at the beginning) the musical tension goes in crescendo and this song reaches some peaks of high intensity.
“Urania” is hallucinating atmosphere; this one sounds like if someone is catching strange waves from the outer-space.
“Pigs To Men” combines the pace of a ballad with some crushing strength it’s a very unique song.
I say this again: Andi Sex Gang is a great artist; he has been in a non-stop creative process since the 80’s, and he is having a great moment here with this album. I’m very pleased with this release by Sex Gang Children
¡Viva Vigilante! And ¡Viva Sex Gang Children!
Review by Daniel Olivera
Sex Gang Children "Demonstration"
This album contains old releases from the Sex Gang Children C.B.S. sessions (1983) and Panic Button sessions including the original 1981 recording of 'Into The Abyss' with Rob Stroud and Simon Werner who was the aggressive guitarist of The Pack and who later spawned Theatre of Hate.
To review this album would take an age; there is so much to say about each track. Suffice to say if you're an old fan, you have to get it, and if you weren't or are too young to really remember them, well you missed out. All I can say is buy it!
To review this album would take an age; there is so much to say about each track. Suffice to say if you're an old fan, you have to get it, and if you weren't or are too young to really remember them, well you missed out. All I can say is buy it!
Review by Loki, Dark Nights Magazine
