The Los Angeles Loyolan

The Los Angeles Loyolan

Caeser Pink & the Imperial Orgy Challenge the Norm
- by Raveen Battee - 3/1/2007

"Gospel Hymns for Agnostics and Atheists" -- these words strung together alone could give many readers pause. But I urge you to continue reading for the sheer randomness and unconventionality of it all. In all my life I never thought I'd see the day when gospel hymns might become linked with agnostics and atheists, but here we are.

Who is behind all this, you ask? Caeser Pink & The Imperial Orgy, that's who. I assure you the name is real. Spawned at Penn State University's Film Department in 1994, they have never been strangers to controversy. The group has had posters and songs banned from college campuses that find the material too political, too controversial and anti-religious and have had cancelled shows due to threats from Christian organizations. Nevertheless, the idea is quite ingenious and creative, striving to push the envelope to another dimension. How far is too far? The answer is completely left to the listener.

Lead singer Caeser Pink has come to a likely conclusion that "it all has to do with the CD's title. When people hear 'atheist' they seem to go insane. What bothers me is that they don't seem to listen to the music or read the lyrics...these stations get it into their heads that the CD reflects a different religious belief than their ownÖ[and] they are banning us from the airwaves."

I too find the problem purely based in the terminology, though not solely in the word "atheist," but in the word "gospel" as well. The general population has come to see these words in a distinct light and used in a specific context to which Caeser Pink & The Imperial Orgy have not conformed. Most people are familiar with the gospels of the Bible, and so the word "gospel" presented in any other way is seen as a perversion of the word.

But this is not so. "Gospel" is a generic term that, according to the dictionary, simply means the essential beliefs or principles of a person or group of people. Logically, Orgy's usage of the word is correct. Yet, because of the word's natural connotation with religion and figures such as Jesus, misinterpretations often result.

One might call this album the gospel of life or truth, because Imperial Orgy effectively points out and satirizes those things which build us up and tear us down. The songs are hymn-esque in their hypnotizing mixture of soul-clenching lyrics and a melodic, danceable beat. In its title track "The Amazing Tenacity of Job & his Brethren," the group sings "Pills can make you happy / I seen it on TV / so drug me with your video screens / S&M scenes and altered genes / Drug me, drug me, drug me 'til I believe."

The first conclusion is that this song is praising drug use and S&M lovers, but to conclude such a superficial analysis would only scratch the surface of the underlying message. In these lyrics, there is a reflection of the general self that exists today-we enthrall ourselves in television and magazine propaganda which tells us how to look, act and live.

Catchy music and thought-provoking lyrics are definitely excellent reasons to stay tuned into Caeser Pink & The Imperial Orgy. That is, if you dare.