Make no mistake: God vs Gods vs Giants vs Reptiles is easily one of the silliest, most absolutely absurd band names you’ll hear in 2022. Maybe even your entire life. Heck, when we originally spoke with the band, there was an additional opponent involved, which may or may not have been an alien. But you know what they say. “Never judge a book by its cover. Or a midwest emo band by the absurdity of its name.”
This time tested adage is well applied here. Given the name, you might expect GvsGvsGvsR to be something a little closer to sass or easy-core. Thankfully, they skew expectations here with a haunting, almost-acoustic approach their sound. “Egged,” the single and music video below, perfectly shows off the band’s chill yet discordant nature. Give it a listen.
Gotta love that sweet and sour dissonant edge… but let’s talk about that video. We find ourselves somewhere between Twin Peaks, Gumby, and Garth Marenghi’s Dark Place. There are plastic babies, plastic dogs, and of course, a blood feud between them. Its the green screen background situation really sells it – with the red clouds of revenge and psychedelic battle backdrops were almost too effective, too real.
Shame about all of those tiny people.
“Egged” is a catchy little ditty though, despite the potentially unsettling video. It’s like a midwest emo carnival ride. Obviously heartbroken and searching, but also celebrating that fact. Not in the white studded Hot Topic belt way though – this is far deeper than that. The song picks up about halfway through, and the focal points juxtaposed. All of the sudden the guitars are more in the background, more rhythmic than before, and a cut-time drum groove becomes the focus.
It’s one of many subtle surprises that await ye on the band’s upcoming EP. For such a consistent sound, God vs Gods vs Giants vs Reptiles nail out a lot of experimentation. “Impossible Tuning Song” features a wild drum performance that rarely repeats itself, yet refrains from any of the non-linear tropes you might’ve come to expect. “Lord Gecko Shmecko” gets a flittering synth melody that brings to mind the magic of Lar Kay, the guitarist for Adebisi Shank‘s loopy Soundcloud one-off. But the comparisons are fleeting, and ultimately establish a quirky badge of authenticity for the band.
It’s dark, sure, but more than that, it’s fresh. It begs the question, though: who would win? Would gods win? Would giants or reptiles win? All of the sudden, we’re lost in the comparative sense of scale. Like those tiny plastic people in the video, we’re just casualties. If anything, we’d be giants from the perspective of reptiles. Gods would be incomprehensible to them, but not to giants, so maybe gods are just bigger giants? What has science done?
GvsGvsGvsR’s unique take on the familiar sets them apart from the pack, and their EP plays like a shadowy encounter with a cryptid in the night. Did you even really see it? Yes, it’s just that no one will believe you. Luckily, when it comes to Gods vs Gods vs Giants vs Reptiles, you’ll have some evidence. The EP drops 3/18 on Shiny Boy Press, a multimedia label based in Baltimore.
Keep an eye out for more from the band soon, we have a feeling they are just getting started. You can check out some other cool Shiny Boy offerings here. If you feel like donating to the site, may we humbly suggest that for now you turn your benevolent gaze towards our friends in Ukraine – you’ve already been beyond generous with us! Thanks again. Coming up we’ve got another deep dive, coverage from Boise’s upcoming Treefort Music Fest, and some interviews we’re really excited about. Talk to you soon!