Viagra Boys - Man Made of Meat - Review
Brash, obnoxious and absurd, Viagra Boys are back with an electric new single.
They’re certainly not for everyone, a bit like black pudding or offal, however, post-punk band, Viagra Boys, have always possessed a skilful aptitude for scratching that deviant, chaotic itch in every sensible member of society. No matter how much you try to suppress it, you know it’s there, and Viagra Boys will find it.
Their latest release, ‘Man Made of Meat’, is particularly disgusting and socially obtuse. After a monotonous work week, it’s the perfect single to soundtrack your careless sex and hedonistic booze binge to unwind. Like a devil upon your shoulder it whispers - Go on, partake in a little horseplay this weekend.
It’s fantastic.
Released as the lead single for their new upcoming album ‘Viagr Aboys’, ‘Man Made of Meat’ wastes no time putting the cat amongst the pigeons. Opening with the echoes of what can only be described as the climax of a sexual escapade, the track demands our attention with a plethora of audible grunts and brutally thrashy guitar riffs. Lead singer Sebastian Murphy maintains his absurd lyricism that he has become known for, with the bemusing opening line:
“Overweight freaks ride around on wheelchairs motorized by
electric motors made by goblins in a factory (violent burp) overseas”
Yes he really does burp mid-sentence. It’s the quintessential ridiculousness of Viagra Boys that I find makes them so endearing. They don’t take things seriously - at all - instead they genuinely have fun with their music, and they encourage us to have fun too.
The instrumental is packed full of sonic adrenaline, boasting a heady mix of dirty, contorted basslines and these jarring yet welcome piercing guitar chords. It’s the sort of sound that you’ll either switch off, or test the limits of your speakers with. Simultaneously Murphy manipulates his vocals to great effect. Both reaching these husky lows as he maintains a lyrical rhythm similar to spoken word poetry, and these hilariously nasally highs as he repeats “ok, alright, ok, alright”. It’s a vocal performance that is equally impressive as it is entirely meaningless.
Speaking of meaningless, the chorus continues the incomprehensible charm of the track:
“I am a man that’s made of meat
You’re on the internet looking at feet
I hate almost everything
And I just want to disappear”
Upon a first glance, it looks as if the band has slapped together a selection of words that an audience can carelessly belt out at concert (not to mention SOME of them rhyme), however, on a closer inspection we do get a sinew of introspection from the otherwise comical band.
The line “I hate almost everything” is deeply cynical, and gives us a brief insight into the psyche of Murphy. Considering society’s increasing reliance on artificial dopamine, whether that be endless social media scrolling, cherry flavoured vapes, or in this case, suggestive pictures of people’s feet, it’s no wonder one can get so filled with hate that they “just want to disappear”. It’s a bleak yet honest confession upon a track otherwise concerned with life’s facetiousness.
Such a sentiment is later parodied in my now favourite bridge in music history. Filtering out the guitar riffs and thumping drums, leaving only sporadic slashes of sharp strings and the cutting repetition of an 808, Murphy delves into the sex obsessed, worryingly incel, reality of the internet and AI. Read at your own discretion:
“I'm subscribed to your mom's OnlyFans
I spent five bucks a month to get pictures of her flappy giblets
And I spent another ten dollars a month to chat with her on the AI chat program”
A vile, succinct and downright Freudian take on the post-modern, web 2.0 era.
Final verdict: 4 meat men out of 5.
Watch the music video here.