Review Summary: X-Cops Patrol Your Streets Tonight
So GWAR is known for their elaborate costumes, blood-throwing antics, and comedic lyrics, but they decided to branch off from that in 1995 when they created X-Cops with some of their band members and other musicians they knew at the time. They ditched the papier-mâché sci-fi costumes for the time being and put on police uniforms, each with their own classified (and stupefied) police names.
From hearing the album from the start there is an obvious metal/hardcore genre feel. The catchy guitar riffs, raspy yelling from the vocals and deep drum sounds are reminiscent of GWAR’s style. Apart from hacking those out, the different skits in between or before songs are amusing and X-Cops do an amazing job at being offensive.
The album starts off with a skit for the first half of the song entitled “Interloper”. Police car sounds and obvious disturbance from the “X-Cops” are heard. The next half consists of thrash metal with GWAR’s signature sound. Known for their obscene and disturbing lyrics, GWAR stays somewhat true to this by staying in a police and law enforcement theme saying things in their song “Barbells” like “the soft bellied white boy gets ***ed 'til he screams” and “prison is hard on your hole” complete with laughter in the background. Their violent and graphic humor is prevalent and doesn’t cease to make me laugh. Although some may be offended by it, the band doesn’t care as they seem to cover the album in their crude, sexual humor.
In the track entitled “Your Mother” X-Cops poke fun at the listener’s ‘mom’ saying she will “be on her knees doing tricks” and “working and bringing the money home to him”. With an easy going hardcore feel, this track is one of the slower tracks on the album and is strange yet humorous. ”You ***ed Up” is also one of the slower tracks and essentially chants the lyrics “you ***ed up” for four minutes. Although boring lyric-wise, the skit in the middle of the song always proves GWAR unlike other metal bands. Like going into GWAR, one must be prepared to understand X-Cops style of humor and not take it to heart.
One of the better tracks entitled “Welcome to New Jersey” will once again, of course, make fun of New Jersey and its reputation as being ‘scummy’. X-Cops enjoy putting their listener into the songs by talking to the listener personally. Lyrics like “Out in the woods you’re handcuffed to a tree. The end of my gun is the last thing you’ll see” allow the listener to take part in X-Cops’ morbid humor and hopefully enjoy it.
Generally, the songs have good variety and are fun to shout along to. The musicality isn’t uniquely gratifying, but what really makes X-Cops different is their reminiscent style of metal and humor from GWAR and their imprudent skits and dialogues.
