Astrology 101 is like a masterclass in personality profiling and a map to your place in the universe. I say that, but full disclosure, I know next to nothing about astrology. I make flirtatious eyes at the tarot every once in a while and my shelves are stacked books about weird cults and religious practices... I even own a couple of crystals. But I know about as much about astrology as I do aerospace engineering- which is next to nothing. So when I call Ben Katzman's DeGreaser's latest album Astrology 101 a masterclass, you have to take that as coming from someone who is literally learning the difference in temperament between Aries and Libras by listening to the album. But to the album's credit, I'm learning a lot.
In a recent interview with Talk House, Ben credited astrology with his music career. It apparently helped him feel more grounded and like he could better understand himself, and gave him the courage to pursue a career in music. So right there, you have a success story crediting this area of study because Ben is a super talented guy! Seriously, Ben can shred a lick like a jet engine can cut a block of cheese. It's easy to get caught up in the power of his guitar work and forget about the skill that is behind it, and I often find myself getting caught up in the groove of a guitar melody and forgetting to actually listen to the notes he's playing. This is a scandal, because when you hone in on the specifics of what Ben is doing, it kind of makes your brain fizzle a little. Like someone packed the creases of your cortex with mentos and then poured a liter of orange soda on top.
Each sign has its own song on Astrology 101, and each song has its own vibe. Most of these song's styles land squarely in the sectors of surf and hard rock- but there are some surprises. "Gemini Brain" dances on an old-school hip hop beat and a pudgy, descending guitar chord that sounds like something Rick Rubin might have sampled for The Fat Boys back in 1985, later Cancers get a bombastic, Elton John parodying, piano lead power ballad, and finally, "Pisces Transmission" plays you out with an interstellar voyage on ambient guitar waves that docks in a place where you can take a dip your toes in the cosmic waters of the equinox. Ben serves of some tanalizing riffs on Astrology 101, but his energy and aptitude seem most focused on "Mom's A Capricorn," which loops around a lean little Are We Not Men? era Devo riff like a rollercoaster riding a rail, and "Taurean Tactics" which catches massive air, kickflipping clouds like they were skateboards to some high flying, vertical, Van Halen like riffs.
I see you still being skeptical over there, thinking to yourself, "learnin' and rock music, are like oli and water." After all, Rodger Waters once wrote the seminal rock line, "we don't need no education," and thousands have taken heed. However, when Roger wrote that line, he was pointing to a system of social control that is perpetuated through the English school system. He was also writing a long time ago, and well before Ben Katzman released Astrology 101. If Roger were to hear Ben's album today, I bet he'd change his tune. Because you might not need no education, but Ben Katzman's Astrology 101... That's a whole other story- this shit's mandatory.
Get a copy of Astrology 101 here. It is out via Starburns Industries Press (yes, the one that does all the animations you like).
