A prevailing figure in the industrial/electronica scene, Brian Graupner is well known for being the sole continuous figure in the American industrial and Electronic body music (EBM) band, The Gothscicles. At one point, The Gothscicles were touring, playing festivals, releasing tracks and albums, but on October 29th, 2023, Graupner’s YouTube side project “Space Couch” featured a Waifu Chiron, a guest that stirred much controversy for her alleged “bigoted opinions” that led to many of Graupner’s fans begging him to denounce his guest and her views. What’s a guy to do when pushed into a corner and demanded he follow suit with what others want? Well, if he’s a free thinker and independent minded person, he does what he wants, and Graupner has a spine. He not only refused to bow to the demands of those criticizing his guest for “wrong-think”, he doubled down.

Since this incident, he has been seemingly liberated from hiding his own thoughts and opinions and has embraced self-expression, even at the cost of fans who demand he conform. The “cancelling” continued snowballing, and Graupner stood steadfast in his resolve. Impressively based.

Rebranded in a new solo project under the name “Gasoline Invertebrate” (ironic considering the man has a spine of steel), Graupner has returned on May 9th, 2025 with his 9th Gasoline Invertebrate album, a 5 track EP called Rage Magus. I was given the honor from Brian Graupner himself to listen to the album on launch day and I must say, I had no idea what to expect as the electronica genre is as varied as there are possible sounds to input, but I was, indeed, blown away, and here’s why, track by track:

“Hoodwinked”

Starting right on in the first track, delivering some loud, hard, and “upbeats”. It’s hard to stay still even in the first few seconds. A truly iconic flavor is then complimented by Graupner’s strong and distorted vocals beginning the song with hitting lyrics like “Sliding Slowly, Stuck in a pattern, Then sinking quickly, Because it doesn’t matter” ignites the feeling and sets the tone for the remainder of the album. The breakdown was dark and absolutely capturing. Quite an introduction to this Rage Magus ride!

“Bleed Out”

If “Hoodwinked” was the spark, then “Bleed Out” was definitely the flame! Knowing Graupner’s history of cancellation, he delivers his emotional lines “Challenged the monopoly, So now you get to watch me bleed out” that are just teeming with anger. There is no guessing with this one. He’s not thrilled. The tone of this is much darker and reflects the raw emotion behind the beats as Graupner shouts “Bleed Out!” throughout the song. This song truly sends chills as any of us who have dared to go against the norm, and have been ostracized for doing so, can attest to such a feeling. Very relatable in these days where “cancel culture” seems to have been so normalized for disgustingly toxic people who deem anyone with opposing opinions as “problematic”, and set out to ruin their life while still claiming to be the morally superior one in the discussion. Yeah, everyone is getting sick of it, too! Shout it out, bro!

“Berserker Barrage” (feat. Pnakotica)

A little lighter, but only slightly, and sharing the continuity of anger and emotion, strong and impactful words such as “Mend, Defend, Sabotage, Rend, Defriend, Berserker Barrage” just bust through the speakers with a beat so catchy, you’ll be sure to remember it and sing it the rest of the day. The words used are merely provided, but knowing exactly what Graupner means as he later comes to “When it turns out I’m on the right side of history, I know you’ll come back to say you never tried to blacklist me.” So true it hurts and those lines made into song are a chef’s kiss, and a cancelled man’s “fuck you.” Just beautiful.

“Fuck You, Fatass”

Whether symbolic of left leaning society’s “savior”/”hero” complex, and the gluttony for self-applauding behavior, or even just the “fat positivity movement”, the disdain for the true toxicity in modern left leaning society is in a clear and direct declaration in “Fuck You, Fatass.” Highlighting the contrarianism of individuality in a moveable beat is honestly the best. It was great to shout along “fuck you, fatass” throughout the entirety of the song. Graupner continues highlighting hypocrites with lines like “Meticulously build a mask of papier-mâché, Knowing any moment that it could wash away, Exposing the ugliness that lies underneath, Protect the facade regardless of belief.” This is a great track to dance on the grave of hypocrites to. Well done!

“Cancel Cell” (feat. Leon Idol)

If the theme of the album wasn’t obvious, “Cancel Cell” spells it out. With a sped-up Suicidal Tendencies’ “Institutionalized” sort of vibe, the song starts with spoken lines referencing the current left’s climate of hate against Tesla, Elon Musk, and even “Orange Man”. The song even goes on to mention “How DARE they think differently, Because you don’t really value diversity, Diversity of thought”, and ends super spicy with “And when you cut your son’s cock off, Just know I won’t shed a tear when you die.” Whew! What an ending track for such a ride!

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I’ll just flat out say it. I loved it. It makes you want to move, it makes you feel something, and it’s got tracks that you can even relate to. It’s beyond refreshing to see and hear art that is truly different from what society, leftist society, specifically, deems “acceptable.” This is real “counter-culture.” This is real anti-authoritarianism. It’s all amazing to see, and I’m definitely looking forward to the next drop by Gasoline Invertebrate!

Don’t just take my word for it! Listen to Rage Magus for yourself here!