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Gob music reborn

Vancouver band tours new album Muertos Vivos
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The Living Dead Gob delves into the notion of the living dead on their new album Muertos Vivos.

Who: Gob

When: Wednesday, Dec. 19, 9 p.m.

Where: Garfinkel’s

Tickets: $20/$15

Gob’s new album, Muertos Vivos, or Living Dead, paints a dismal look at humanity, one engulfed in wars and disconnection. Unlike the Day of the Dead Mexican icon illustrating the album cover, the record is not about honouring the dead, but instead reminding the living to live.

Two of the tracks, We’re All Dying and Prescription, found at myspace.com/gob, charge forward fast and loud commenting on how easily society gets caught up within itself, only looking at our differences.

“We are the same, just afraid, what’s the difference we are all dying,” Tom Thacker sings.

In We’re All Dying, the introduction begins with a Morse code signal as if signaling listeners to heed Gob’s message while at the same time bringing awareness to our world currently engulfed in war.

“The record definitely tackles a lot of ideas, one obviously prevalent is death,” Thacker said. “It came up naturally when compiling the record. Every song says something about death, not talking about a song specific to death, but a product of what is happening in the lyrics. There has been more war in the media than I’ve ever known. We’ve been bombarded with it. It’s kind of depressing. A lot of lyrics are a reaction to what is going on globally. It can’t help but have something about war in it. You can’t help singing about it because it is right there in your face and it affects everybody.”

Don’t expect soapbox war rants from Gob at the band’s Dec. 19 show at Garfinkel’s, rather look for layered views about how the land of the living and the living dead collide.

The Vancouver foursome of Thacker, Theo Goutzinakis, Gabe Mantle and Tyson Maiko make up the signature Gob sound, described as “crunchy, distorted guitars” tuning into a true punk rock. The band last put out an album, Foot in Mouth Disease , four years ago on the Sony BMG label. Since then, a lot has changed, including the band signing with a new Canadian label, Aquarius.

“We lost a bass player; a lot has happened,” said Thacker who also plays guitar for Sum 41. “We got new labels, changed management. It all delayed the album.”

Despite the challenges, the group managed to pull together to produce the best Gob tracks yet.

“This record is by far our greatest achievement on a record,” he said. “It’s our most diverse record. It’s probably heavier at times and softer at times than we’ve ever done. Some (songs) are even more true to what true punk rock would be.”

Gob’s turbine-powered music savvy has won over fans for more than a decade. The group first put themselves on the map with Too Late… No Friends . Three more albums followed along with hit singles on MuchMusic as well as EA video games and consistent globetrotting.

Over the past five years, the band has usually opened for headliners, but not this time around.

“There was no chance to play a set from all our records,” he said of opening shows for other bands. “We are definitely playing everything with the shows we are headlining.”

Ari Shine and Ending Alexander will open this time around, with Gob headlining the Whistler show.

Advance $15 tickets are on sale at Garfinkel’s, Billabong and Katmandu. Otherwise tickets are $20 at the door.