FATHER, SON AND THE HOLY GHOST – “In The Name Of” 1984 (Amar, US) – Ok, now we’re talking weird. Are there a Weird Halls, because if there are, this record would be one of the first ones in. Arriving in unsuspecting record stores during 1984, this complete oddity ended up in “Heavy Metal” sections, lodged between “Exciter” and “Fist.” There it probably stayed, it’s shrink wrap splitting & yellowing until it was purchased by someone sick freak (like me) who, eyeing the comedic-grotesque cover art, figured it for something to spin while giving “Show No Mercy” a rest. And yet…it wasn’t. See, FATHER, SON AND THE HOLY GHOST were not proto-death metal, thrash, or even all that heavy. They were an almost indescribable brand of kinda hard rock that was, at times, even laced with a commercial funk vibe and drizzled with a dollop of Jackson/Charvel guitar shred. Even more bizarre is the lyrical and visual aspect. First you’ve got the garish funeral cover art, then combined with a pseudo religious feel, marked by the inside cover photos in a huge cross and the band name itself. Then, figure a lyric like that from “Stayin’ Power”: “White hot, I’ve got all I need. It’s so hard, baby, don’t let me breathe…heatin’ up my rocket and watchin’ it grow…And I’ve got a hot nerve, touch it…Stayin’ Power – thank you, God.” What the freaking hell?! To cap off the left-field factor of this band/release and to partially explain the moniker, the vocalist (Joe Ferentino) and lead guitarist (Mike Ferentino) are father and son! I have no idea what kind of rating I would give this album, except for 3 things: 1) When I sold all my vinyl a few years ago, for some reason (which may be an indicator of mental illness on my part), it was one of the 40 records I could not bring myself to part with. 2) Ozzy Osbourne is the first name in the thanks section 3) One of my most treasured fanzines of the early metal days was Rudo Anvilmeister’s Suck City. It was a mag that worshipped Cirith Ungol, featured an ongoing fictional work about a planet ruled by a race of Uli Jon Roths and once included an article about why Styx was the worst band of all time. So, in Rudo’s spirit, I now pronounce this record: 8 Cents
Friday, February 6, 2009
GRAND HALLS 17
FATHER, SON AND THE HOLY GHOST – “In The Name Of” 1984 (Amar, US) – Ok, now we’re talking weird. Are there a Weird Halls, because if there are, this record would be one of the first ones in. Arriving in unsuspecting record stores during 1984, this complete oddity ended up in “Heavy Metal” sections, lodged between “Exciter” and “Fist.” There it probably stayed, it’s shrink wrap splitting & yellowing until it was purchased by someone sick freak (like me) who, eyeing the comedic-grotesque cover art, figured it for something to spin while giving “Show No Mercy” a rest. And yet…it wasn’t. See, FATHER, SON AND THE HOLY GHOST were not proto-death metal, thrash, or even all that heavy. They were an almost indescribable brand of kinda hard rock that was, at times, even laced with a commercial funk vibe and drizzled with a dollop of Jackson/Charvel guitar shred. Even more bizarre is the lyrical and visual aspect. First you’ve got the garish funeral cover art, then combined with a pseudo religious feel, marked by the inside cover photos in a huge cross and the band name itself. Then, figure a lyric like that from “Stayin’ Power”: “White hot, I’ve got all I need. It’s so hard, baby, don’t let me breathe…heatin’ up my rocket and watchin’ it grow…And I’ve got a hot nerve, touch it…Stayin’ Power – thank you, God.” What the freaking hell?! To cap off the left-field factor of this band/release and to partially explain the moniker, the vocalist (Joe Ferentino) and lead guitarist (Mike Ferentino) are father and son! I have no idea what kind of rating I would give this album, except for 3 things: 1) When I sold all my vinyl a few years ago, for some reason (which may be an indicator of mental illness on my part), it was one of the 40 records I could not bring myself to part with. 2) Ozzy Osbourne is the first name in the thanks section 3) One of my most treasured fanzines of the early metal days was Rudo Anvilmeister’s Suck City. It was a mag that worshipped Cirith Ungol, featured an ongoing fictional work about a planet ruled by a race of Uli Jon Roths and once included an article about why Styx was the worst band of all time. So, in Rudo’s spirit, I now pronounce this record: 8 Cents
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Also on the thanks list, Michael Jackson and Sylvester Stallone, right? This is a stunningly bad album that screams of a back story bordering on true crime. I got my copy for 1.99 via mailorder from Slipped Disc, and I don't remember them ever putting anything else on sale ever! I wouldn't sell or give this away, either. Did you mention that the father dresses like a priest?
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