Bil Sabab Power Hour: White Zombie - Thunder Kiss' 65

"Thunder Kiss' 65" is a song by American horror rock band White Zombie. It was released in 1992 as a lead single of their breakthrough third album "La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1". It is a tale of love and betrayal and despair and great umbilical struggle of this and that and that and that. It is one of those songs that grind their way to your brain viciously but seeming leaving no trace behind. You can't really catch this song and think it was just a dream - but it really happened and it is really that good.

From a musical standpoint "Thunder Kiss' 65" is slightly jumpy funk groove rock and roll song with elaborate fuzzy twang of wasteland stoner rock spliced with a little bit more bluesy meandering hard-edged rock. White Zombie specialized on trashy, bottom of the barrel sleaze with elaborate arrangements and extraordinary tenacity. This song is a nice showcase of the bands ability to make extremely simple catchy song that is seeming beyond description. It is based of one riff that jump around with its tongue sticking out. It feels like it is going backwards but apparently forward but obviously backwards and rather awkward.

The vocal melody comes clashing with the riff - it is head banging contest. And the riff bounces back like a ball time after time. Then things spiral out of control in the chorus with a complex drum pattern. It is a delight to listen. Then "damage control break" comes and things go berserk with guitar turning into sonic flame-thrower writing its own sequence of notes in the air. For a moment it seems to be tamed but than it breaks away and spits fire with sparkles in all directions. Pure bliss. Sweet nuthin'.

Lyrically - it is a caroulesamba bish bosh of horror movie cliched imagery combined with grindhouse movie vernacular. It is half-based on namedropping of various b-movies as elaborate metaphors or plot points. But there is a story hidden deep inside. It is about a girl being really bad and probably a time warp to the past (or not) and then she meets somebody and he gets blown away (or not, who cares). It's a bunch of cool sounding words, ok?

If you read the lyrics of this song separately from listening to it - you might think it is glossolalia transcribed and edited to resemble coherent text. 

Accompanying music video is a thing of its own. Aesthetically it is solid gold tribute / homage to the ultimate great Russ Meyer and his magnum opus "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!". Kinda. It is just people in the middle of nowhere (aka desert) hanging out - dancing with smash zooms and tilts. There is also a guy in a luchador mask, cape and tightsuit. He means fun.

"Thunder Kiss' 65" is flashy, smashy and absolutely nonsensical. Despite this - it is 100% effective.