GREEN JELLŸ — Garbage Band Kids (review)

GREEN JELLŸ — Garbage Band Kids album cover

Album · 2021 · Alternative Metal

3.5/5 · 2021-06-26
siLLy puPPy

GREEN JELLŸ is one of those bands that’s hard to believe actually existed but had its day in the limelight back in 1993 with its huge claymation video hit “Three Little Pigs.” The band actually started out with the moniker GREEN JELLÖ but was predictably sued by the Kraft Corporation for using the name of their profitable squishy food-like substance. The band scored as well with the “Cereal Killer Soundtrack” which displayed a diverse mix of comedy punk and alternative metal but like all novelty acts pretty much fizzled out as quickly as it caught the world’s attention. While they started out as a video only band due to the success of the single quickly sold out their weak morals and released actual albums.

After the unexpected success of “Three Little Pigs,” GREEN JELLŸ released the followup “333” in 1994 but lacked the ridiculous comedic effect and sounded like a very cheap garage band trying to emulate punk rock. That should’ve been the end of GREEN JELLŸ due to the fact that the members Danny Carey and Maynard James both went on to form the mega-selling band Tool but main man Bill Manspeaker seemed to have found his calling adding a sense of levity to the world of metal and continued on. While written off and all but forgotten GREEN JELLŸ reemerged in 2009 with a brand new album “Musick To Insult Your Intelligence By.” Well, all i can say is that the title was fitting and i assumed that this band would never resurrect from the abyss again. Ooops. I was wrong.

Of all the bands to release a comeback album in 2021, GREEN JELLŸ was not on my radar but here we are with the band’s fifth studio album GARBAGE BAND KIDS with an album cover that emulates everyone’s favorite comical trading cards that depict kids with abnormalities, deformities, misfortune and just plain twisted grossness! While a a real group project in the past, GARBAGE BAND KIDS seems to be a mystery as to exactly who is playing on it since Manspeaker is the only one who gets credit however there is a guest appearance by Weird Al Yankovic via a recorded phone message and another message by the 20th century game show host Wink Martindale. Backing vocals are performed by the Trailer Park Boys which includes members of Suicidal Tendencies, Fishbone, The Dwarves, Piledriver and Kittie. LOL.

If it wasn’t a curve ball enough that another GREEN JELLŸ album has emerged in 2021 it came as even more of a surprise that this one doesn’t totally suck. I did very much appreciate the efforts of the “Cereal Killer” soundtrack but after that GREEN JELLŸ really dropped the ball with their unique brand of potty mouth punk metal. After a little investigation it actually shouldn’t be too surprising that this band has emerged again. Manspeaker has appeared on Psychostick albums and in 2017 GREEN JELLŸ released a new music video and single, "Fr3tö F33t” with another titled “Silence Of The Sponge” in 2019 which was a parody to the theme of SqongBob SquarePants. I guess i just wasn’t in the know!

GARBAGE BAND KIDS seems to be a return to form at least if you consider this band to have ever had one. What i mean is that what made the “Cereal Killer” soundtrack so good is that the basic songs were catchy and creative and the lyrics were actually funny even if ridiculously over the top. Topics range from the expected album cover art themes with the opening track “Pukebox” to the hilariously absurd with “Punk Rock Pope.” “Silence of the Squarepants” continues the SpongeBob tribute and the band even pays tribute to the past with a song titled “333” in reference to the album and a re-recording of the band’s classic “Three Little Pigs” but in all honestly seems a little unnecessary as it doesn’t really add any new ideas and reeks of milking past glories. The masturbation song “Beat My Meat” though is primo material!

While i was hardly chomping at the bit for a new GREEN JELLŸ album i am pleasantly surprised that this one is actually a bit of fun. The tracks are all catchy and have that same pop punk quality that “Cereal Killer” featured and the lyrics are actually pretty funny however this isn’t going to win any awards or anything either! For those brave enough to actually buy this they will be treated to beautiful packaging with colorful artwork that was created by the makers of those sicko 80s trading cards! Once again novelty metal makes it mark and to everyone’s surprise the crazy potty mouth punk of GREEN JELLŸ has reared its ugly head once again. This one actually has return value to it however at over 56 minutes long may be a bit too much in one sitting.