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Here we have the final album recorded by alt rock/industrial band God Lives Underwater. As the story goes, the band released a couple of well respected records before running into problems within their camp and record label, eventually calling it quits. Upoffthefloor, which is their last collection of songs, was actually recorded a few years back and released to the masses in 2004 on Locomotive Records. God Lives Underwater (who go by the moniker of GLU) are most certainly not synonymous with anything remotely heavy metal. On this disc you may find a guitar riff here or there, but for the most part this is industrial tinged pop- rock, in the same ballpark of Marilyn Manson or Nine Inch Nails. What you have here are some electronic elements, synthesizers drum machines, and radio friendly choruses. In fact as I listen to many of these songs, I can envision them being played on a local rock radio station.
Upon listening closely, not only does the material seem quite uninspired, but also seems to be lacking any form of consistency whatsoever. One of the first things I notice is that the production is not the greatest. Often times, things sound muzzled or distorted and just not super clear. With the electronics being a vital portion of the sound, I would think for this style of music to be most effective, the sound should aspire to be crisp, clear and precise, which is just not the case. Next problem I come across is from a lyrical standpoint. Now I am not one to normally complain about lyrics (we all love our lyrics about death, destruction and Satan) but the depressive, angst ridden spoken words on here do not contribute to making the music more satisfying. Even while realizing that this is probably targeted at a younger audience, I still cannot find myself getting into the juvenile babble that is present through much of the record.
While most of these songs are far from memorable, GLU seems to be at their best on some of the slower, more atmospheric pieces. The latter part of the album presents a couple of noteworthy tunes, particularly “72 hour hold”, (with its’ slow engaging build up) is worth mentioning. Unfortunately though, this is not enough to salvage the effort as a whole. On its own, upoffthefloor seems to be a collection that will only appease fans of the band. Anyone looking for some variety, may want to check out their earlier catalogue or just venture elsewhere.
| Tracklist |
| 1. White Noise |
| 2. Tricked |
| 3. 1%(The Long Way Down) |
| 4. Whatever You've Got |
| 5. No Way (You Must Understand) |
| 6. Slip To Fall |
| 7. History |
| 8. 72 Hour Hold |
| 9. Miss You More Than Anything |
| 10. Positivity |
: 40.04
| Buy other God Lives Underwater albums |
