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Alice's Attic
http://alicecoopershow.com/
After all these years, the grandfather of shock rock is still wowing them.
With carefully taken photographs and a good dose of irreverent Alice ravings,
the legend of the rock stage manages to sustain himself way beyond middle
age. Well, there's a new live album, while the binge-drinking which clouded
a good percentage of his career is long gone. He's slick, bad as ever,
and surrounded by fellow rock lords Sammy Hagar, Slash and Rob Zombie.
Besides an album and track listing from 1969 onward, and a few pics of
snakes and scary eyes, this doesn't really offer much more than a standard
press kit might contain. The interview is pretty cool.
Sample: Do you call him The Master of Shock Rock? The Black Humorist Supreme?
Or do you simply just acknowledge that he is one of our era's greatest
showmen?
Verdict: Uh, all of the above? So where's the evidence? Etched into my
psyche, coz it ain't on the official site. - SS
NetWorth: ****
Genitorturers
http://www.genitorturers.com/
This is the band that former shock-rocker Fee Waybill of The Tubes said
basically ended his career. It's hard to shock an audience like they did
in the good old days, now that bands are piercing their genitalia live
on stage! Fetish freaks from the Society of Genitorture, present dark
and twisted songs as a backdrop for indescribable acts of sexual depravity
to wildly applauding (and gagging) audiences. The site is packed with
audio, video and stills, and plenty of other info about this zany and
whacky outfit.
Sample: "an absolute carnival of depravity"
Verdict: And to think The Beatles shocked the world with their haircuts!
- S
Net Worth: ****
OZZY
http://www.ozzy.com/
It's amazing how much publicity one (alleged) bat's-head gobbling episode
can generate. Lead singer of the originators of the metal sound, Black
Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne has managed to sustain an incredibly long career
by milking the bat-biting legend and having lots of photos taken of himself
looking comically evil. Oh, he has also churned out dozens of world class
metal releases and now hits the world stage by pulling the Sabb's out
of retirement for a reunion tour. It's all here in this cyber comic book,
which sums up the best approach for shock rockers these days - self-parody.
Sample: Message board - Hey Ozzman- You're the best Ozzy. Keep rockin'
the world for as long as you can!
Verdict: Well, what else could he do? Go the corporate speaking circuit?.
- SS
NetWorth: ****
House Of Shock
http://www.houseofshock.com/
Phil Anselmo, lead beast of Pantera has decided that it's not enough to
be the hardest rocking band on the planet. Why not take things a step
further on the internet and create a site that take the whole Satanic
thing to the point of nauseating meaninglessness. With all the cast of
characters, as many synonyms for evil that a thesaurus could muster, and
a very old animated fire gif, the preacher of darkness expects to flog
a few t-shirts and stay on the cutting edge of demonic possession. Unfortunately
it all ends up looking like the pathetic ramblings of a naughty Catholic
Schoolboy.
Sample: Bannished half brother of Jesus son of mary, with twisted vile
puke drowns to death the souls which visit hollows eve.
Verdict: I think this guy needs to get out more. Too many info-mercials
after the gig. - SS
NetWorth: **
Mitch's Ozzy Osbourne Page
http://members.aol.com/ozzyhead1/
Probably the best way to gauge the impact of an artist's manufactured
image (self or otherwise) is to check out the tribute sites. Ozzy certainly
touches something deep inside, with his combination of ultra-legend status
and decidedly cabaret promo shots. This site goes right into the myths
and urban legends, the tattoos, bootlegs, lyrics, in fact so many fascinating
facets of the Ozz man's career you'd have to visit to believe. The evidence
to support his case as undisputed King of Shock Rock mounts.
Sample: Did you know....That Ozzy likes to have a tank of oxygen on the
side of the stage when he performs?
Verdict: The colostomy bag can't be far behind. This guy has lived hard
- and his reward? 40 million album sales. - SS
NetWorth: *****
Neal Smith - Rock & Realtor
http://www.nealsmith.com/1.htm
Alice Cooper's original drummer blows the lid off the shock rock credibility
factor by becoming a Real Estate Agent!! Only memories remain of the long
gone halcyon days when five friends from the South took the world by storm
with an infectious bad-boy rock-theatre that sold over 25 million albums,
and made Alice a household name. Neal helped pen some of the hits and
now turns his Midas touch to real estate, using his infamy to boost interest
in the web-site and land prices in Connecticut.
Sample: ...my musical career, or as I like to call it "the party that
never ended"
Verdict: It's certainly ended now, Mr Suit Man. - SS
NetWorth: ***
The Official Marilyn Manson Website
http://www.marilynmanson.net/
With the advantage of being able to witness all that has come before them,
a modern day shock rocker has a good chance of being able to do it right,
if they are willing to incorporate the old faithful ingredients of their
predecessors. Androgyny, zany make-up, high heeled boots, three chord
riffs and plenty of manufactured publicity goes a long way.
The added bonus Ms. Manson has is timing. The pre-millenium lost generation
is looking for a cultural icon, and who better than a 90's shock rocker
in the classic mould, with a touch of hierophant thrown in to get the
religious right to fuel the controversy.
Sample: "I'm sending this transmission from the space I'm in and I've
watched over you like a satellite, each one of you a vein, keeping me
alive"
Verdict: Mmm, perhaps we should bill you for our first aid services. -
SS
NetWorth: *****
Reborn Into Humanity
http://members.aol.com/ZZZIMZZZUM/angel.html
This site takes the drug-induced and rather iconoclastic utterances of
Marylin Manson, and attempts to bring some meaningful order to the phenomenon
this pop singer has created. The Internet has allowed a proliferation
of Apostles to spread the psycho-spiritual word of "Omega", and here you
have quite a good interpretation of the scriptures, in the form of quotes,
interviews, controversy and lyrics. Quite a good revelation into the thoughts
behind the whole MM pop singing venture.
Sample: "Find out what's really out there. I never said to be like me,
I say be like you and make a difference." - Marilyn Manson.
Verdict: Does reviewing this web-site count? - SS
NetWorth: ****
The Tubes Home Page
http://www.bennettsweb.com/tubes/
In the pre-MTV days, before you had to be over-the-top just to get played,
bands like the Tubes reigned supreme as theatrical power-pop demi-Gods.
A few stage props, cool art work, some zany antics and a bit of social
satire tucked into each song, and you had yourself a killer shock rock
ensemble. The record industry hadn't become completely corporatized, so
some band's actually had talent. The songs were strong, and the fan base
loyal. Hence this "Then & Now" tribute site of the original White
Punks on Dope. Step back in time and relive the rock theatre of old.
Sample: Waybill moved from character to character - from sado-masochist
to mock politician to business executive to jungle king to psychopathic
killer to pirate - in a dazzling array of anarchic vignettes..
Verdict: Well, I liked 'em! - SS
NetWorth: ****
Gary Glitter World Wide Web Home Page
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/vanderlinden/glitter.htm
With about as many animated gifs as Mr Glitter had sequins, you are treated
to a mega gallery of bad taste fashion, history, links, lyrics, audio
clips, news and fan club information. The fact that this aging old Glam
rocker was busted for kiddie porn seems insignificant as this shrine to
this one-man dynamo unfolds. The news keeps pouring in about this ageing
superstar. Like all the rest of the dinosaurs, I think he'll be Rock 'n'
Rolling to the end, if his loyal fans have anything to do with it.
Sample: Gary has battled Booze, Gambling addiction, drugs and bankruptcy
and twice tried to kill himself in the last 25 years.
Verdict: Now that's what I'd call a highly successful rock and roll career!
- SS
NetWorth: ****
The Official Electric Witchdance Home Page
http://www.witchdance.com/
In an all-out attempt to join the swelling ranks of rock freaks, Electric
Witchdance dress up like some kind of rejects from the chamber of horrors
and grind out a dark stench of sound that you would probably not put on
at a corporate convention. The blood & guts death obsession fad has
really gone about as far as it can go, and these guys have done their
darndest to declare themselves the supreme gargoyles of rock. Frankly
I think they should try some aversion therapy and become paramedics.
Sample: Damn server went down just as I went for the quote!
Verdict: Double double toil and trouble, lets get back to the music of
the gum that bubbles.- SS
NetWorth: ***
American Psychos
http://members.xoom.com/graveboy/index.html
Welcome to Graveboy's tribute site to the macabre and horror-ble Misfits,
where every day is Halloween. A quick read of the lyrics reveals either
a totally bizarre obsession with death and hell, or perhaps an overcompensation
for a deprived childhood where the poor little misfits we're grounded
from trick-or-treating . The site is pretty packed with info and merchandise
for the fans (?). Predictably, on downloading a few real audio clips,
all this effort to create the blood and bones image has let the music
run a very poor second, as bad three-chord garage rock threatens to rot
my poor stereo speakers.
Sample: Sweet lovely death, I am waiting for your breath, Come sweet death,
One last caress.
Verdict: Anyone for some Aqua?. - SS
NetWorth: ***
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