Swiss band formed in Geneva 1982

The Young Gods have a very distinctive sound based on sampled classical orchestras and heavy guitar riffs, intricate drum patterns (acoustic, not sampled) and the haunting voice of vocalist Franz Treichler. The sampling is done with a precision and finesse you don't find often in this kind of music, and even though the sources of the samples are loud and aggressive, the result is very clean and well composed. The production by Roli Mosimann is also of high quality throughout.

All lyrics (except for the very strange cover of Gary Glitter's "Did you miss me?") are in French, a language I used to think of as mild and soft before hearing Franz Treichler's demonic howls.

Suprisingly enough for a trio relying heavily on samplers, Young Gods used to be a very good live band, mostly due to Treichler's presence and charisma. The first two albums Young Gods and L'eau rouge with accompanying 12" singles should be part of any industrial collection. The third album was recorded after the original drummer left and is a collection of songs from Kurt Weill plays.