Metal Underground.com

On paper, White Mice seems like a joke that went too far. Three men, each with their own aliases, play noise music while dressed up in mice costumes. Obviously, the band is going for a humorous response with their look and performance, and the music itself is nothing more than repetitious static. It aims to please nobody, regaled to cult status to those that actually understand what the trio is trying to accomplish. The wall of fuzzy bass, hammering drums, and distorted electronics will elude most people’s attention. However, even at its loudest moments, there is a quirky charm to “Ganjahovahdose” that is undeniably subversive and utterly hypnotic.

There is little order or structure to the album, each song its own tale of anarchistic tendencies. Much of the humor comes through in the lyrical content, especially in the CD booklet and linear notes that accompany the album. Allusions to religion, street walkers and male reproductive organs are rampant, though it may be hard to hear the lyrics with the raspy screams buried beneath the layers of sonic abomination the band conjures up. The whole album is a blur of unconventional rhyme schemes and make-believe phrases, especially with some of the song titles (“The Crapture,” “Placenta The Crotchtower”).

The most surprising aspect of “Ganjahovahdose” is the catchy melodies that lie underneath all the noise. The drum/bass intro to “Passsthefissst” has a groove to it that is an instant foot-tapper, even as the jumble of samples and squeaks suddenly blindside the listener. The garage jam atmosphere of “The Hard On Of Edam” is built upon a frantic drum track that, when mixed with the powerful bass work, turns into an intoxicating sensation. This is the type of zany music that Mike Patton shits his pants over.

The lack of a guitar presence doesn’t hurt the album at all. In fact, having a guitarist would have taken away from the power illuminated by fluid rhythm section. The electronic components of the album make up for this missing element, adding the chaotic madness to the proceedings. “The Shroud Of Urine” is an instrumental that is nothing more than ambient noise akin to a blow dryer sexually assaulting a refrigerator, but the band molds it into a thrilling cesspool of intolerable sound.

White Mice is not a band tailor-made for mass consumption. There is a lot of offensive content, including disturbing images in the booklet involving a penis and a mouse trap and blasphemous imagery mocking religious icons. Those who have been following the band for years already expect this kind of behavior, but first-time listeners may be taken aback. It’s refreshing to see a band have this type of reckless abandonment towards common taste and decency, especially in a current climate of harsh scrutinizing of music by retail stores and PA stickers on any album with a slight chance of anything obscene.

“Ganjahovahdose” is not an easy album to rate. There is no doubt that White Mice is one of the most creative bands out there today, but the fact remains that this is 33 minutes of noise; catchy at times, yes, but still a wall of sound that seems to be stuck on a continuous loop. “Ganjahovahdose” may be a flawed piece of art, but there is enough genius behind it to prove that there is still hope for underground metal as a place for off-beat and eccentric musical talent to thrive.