By Mita Tate

The year was 1984 and while groups like Culture Club, Thompson Twins, Wham! and Yes were tearing up the Billboard charts, a lesser known group in Britain had something up their sleeve. Unlike the chart toppers of 1984, for avant-garde group Whitehouse, music was not about “waking up before you go go,” but to convey an actual message. Not the type of message found in a U2 song, but a message that didn’t want to be heard by the masses, or even the counter-culture folk for that matter. This was a message of misogyny and hatred backed by waves of dissonance.

While Whitehouse’s previous albums had garnered them some success in the British underground music scene, Great White Death proved to the critics that they weren’t just some Throbbing Gristle copy.

With song names like “I’m Comin’ Up Your Ass,” “Rapemaster” and “My Cock’s On Fire,” and lyrics like “You don’t have to say please / just get on your knees and suck my cock!” you can see why most people were concerned. This makes 2 Live Crew’s infamous record look like child’s play.

Most of the songs featured on Great White Death, as well as Whitehouse’s prolific discography, are harsh power electronics and noise sound-scapes in the vein of Japanese sound artist, Merzbow, along with the patented madman-locked-in-an-asylum vocals. Even if one is able to get past the misogyny and obscenities, the tone of William Bennett’s voice is sure to send shivers down anyone’s spine. One gets the feeling that even if he were reading a child’s nursery rhyme in this tone, it would disturb even the most jaded fan. In fact to say it is disturbing is even a huge understatement.

Despite astronomical amounts of controversy and being banned in several countries, Whitehouse still records today, releasing some of their most controversial albums only a few years ago. Up until a short while ago the infamous child pornographer Peter Sotos had joined the group and created even more deviant sound collages than ever before.

Surprisingly despite Whitehouse’s obvious inaccesibility, many groups consider them to be an influence, Sonic Youth and Big Black, to name just a few.

The Chronicle gives “Great White Death”, by Whitehouse four out of five stars.