Review
White Mice
Ganjahovedose

20 Buck Spin (2009) Jon E.

White Mice – Ganjahovedose cover artwork
White Mice – Ganjahovedose — 20 Buck Spin, 2009

To start I took a whole bunch of notes on White Mice's Ganjahovedose and realized afterward that I missed something kind of big about this band, no guitars. White Mice operates as a three-piece and that may be the only truly normal thing about them. They use drums, bass and most oddly an oscillator to make some of the strangest noise metal noise that I've heard in quite awhile.

For some background I'll take you back a bit. This is the band's sixth full-length amongst a bunch of EPs and other releases. They, like The Locust, wear masks in all public appearances, only theirs make them look like white mice that have been experimented on. This only starts to match the strange almost other worldliness of their music and the rest of their aesthetic.

Everything about Ganjahovedose is strangely psychedelic. It's almost as if they're taking you on a an acid fueled trip through the gates of hell. The album starts with clattering drums and a distorted bass riff. These two things are the bottom line to the sound of the band. The bass is always heavy in the mix, always distorted and strangely compelling. The drums are meticulous but always sound as though the drummers kit is on the verge of collapse while the recording is going on. Everything about this is bowel rumbling in the same sense as every stoner metal band on earth. This is where the difference lies, the oscillator starts in and sounds like a dentists drill is about to close in. The vocals sound like Satan, I don't mean this in the "brootal" death metal sense; this is what I imagine Satan sounded like when I was really young and watching the "Exorcist". This is only the start of the mindfudgery that the band offers. Seemingly at random but at some point in every song the singer will abuse the echo chamber making his voice sound like Ozzy's at the begining of the song "Iron Man."

This album is truly a strong album and a rather stand alone piece. I truly can't think of another band that really sounds like these guys. The downside of that fact is also the fact that I'm not entirely sure that I'd want another band ,let alone a trend of bands, sounding like this. I am disturbed by the idea that someone somewhere would listen to this while driving. Either they'd space out and kill or just snap into a delusional state and kill - either way this would go badly. Ganjahovedose is truly unpleasant in all the right ways. If you want something that sounds like a acid addled Merzbow taking mushrooms with a wierd drummer and a bassplayer that has a broken distortion pedal than you need to hear this. This isn't metal or psych or electronic - it is truly messed up.

7.2 / 10Jon E. • November 16, 2009

White Mice – Ganjahovedose cover artwork
White Mice – Ganjahovedose — 20 Buck Spin, 2009

Related news

White Mice Tourdates

Posted in Tours on March 11, 2010

Recently-posted album reviews

Jason Paul + The Know It Alls

I'm Absolutely Terrified
Independent (2025)

I'd call Jason Paul + The Know It Alls happy punk except, well, it ain't. The lyrics are somber and thoughtful, yet the tone and melodies are uplifting and that's what I go by. I'd also call it San Pedro chill punk, as it has some similar elements to other bands from the area while maintaining a go-with-the-flow kind of … Read more

Various Artists

Pulley/Fire Sale – ‘Split Personality'
Negative Progression Records (2025)

When I saw this split 7” announced, I genuinely got excited. I love both bands. I knew that when you have two powerhouse punk bands coming together to drop a split, nothing could go wrong. While one of the bands, Pulley, is a household name in the punk community, the other is on the rise. I guarantee you know the … Read more

Middle-Aged Queers

Theatre of Shame
Engineer Records, Sell The Heart Records (2025)

Theatre Of Shame is the third LP from Bay Area band Middle-Aged Queers, a band whose moniker definitely gives away the plot. The band celebrates community with party punk songs like "Glizzies Banging" and "Pajama Party," but it also has pointed political commentary about the dangers of a bigoted society. In equal parts, Theatre Of Shame is about celebration and … Read more