Review Summary: Puscifer forgoes the intimacy of "Conditions for my Parole" and winds up with a mixed bag of an EP.
With 2011's "Conditions of My Parole", we were treated to an interesting development in the career of Maynard James Keenan. Prior to that album, it was easy to think of him primarily as the front man of the influential alternative metal acts Tool and A Perfect Circle, with his work in Puscifer being relegated to the realm of afterthoughts. That was mostly because that side-project's debut album, "V is for Vagina", was so uninteresting (or just unappealing?) musically that the most memorable things about it were the intentionally sophomoric genitalia "jokes" Keenan littered throughout. In short, it was difficult to take early Puscifer seriously, especially when juxtaposed against Maynard's otherwise impressive body of work.
"Conditions of My Parole" somehow managed to change all of that- it was surprisingly serious and introspective, and the songwriting matured tenfold in comparison to "V is for Vagina," as it contained some of the best material Keenan has been involved with since "Lateralus." It was a record that was, quite simply, good enough that it demanded listeners start taking Puscifer almost as seriously as Maynard's other projects. After some extensive touring for that record, Puscifer is back with an EP in "Donkey Punch The Night Away" that, while not a total waste, is somewhat of a let down after the ascendancy exemplified in its predecessor.
"Donkey Punch The Night" is an EP that returns Puscifer to the less-than-serious nature of the band's debut album. If that wasn't made clear by the title and cover art alone, then the fact that the first track on the album is a cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" should make it so (they've even dubbed it the "OG mix" to boot). To cover a song of this nature and stature is a bold move indeed, and while it would probably be enjoyable in a live setting, it sticks too closely to its source material to be at all interesting, although Maynard pulls off the vocals in expert fashion. Your mileage on that track will vary, depending on how appealing the concept of Puscifer covering "Bohemian Rhapsody" is to you, and the rest of the EP is, unfortunately, a mixed bag at best. The two original tracks that follow, "Breathe" and "Dear Brother", are certainly enjoyable, though both would only qualify as second tier, or perhaps even b-side material, were they included on "Conditions of My Parole." After that, we have an interesting cover of "Balls to the Wall" that sounds closer to Depeche Mode than Accept, as well as remixes of the two original tracks. "Breathe (Drumcell Rework)" is superior to the original version, with its drawn out, industrial atmospherics proving more satisfying and mood-influencing than its counterpart, and "Dear Brother (Denton Rework)", somehow manages not to be a complete train wreck, despite its odd, 80's synth pop influences and cringe-inducing robot vocals. An instrumental reworking of the "Balls to the Wall" cover closes the album out nicely, but isn't anything to write home about.
I do have to point out that it sounds like Maynard and company really did enjoy making this music, which should not be understated by the negativity I've portrayed for most of this review. This is definitely a fun little EP, and it is nowhere nearly aberrant enough to destroy the good faith earned by "Conditions of my Parole". When all is said and done, however, Maynard is at his best in his more intimate, introspective element, and this EP, though not worthy of being completely discarded, will do little to impress those of us whom are looking for something a bit deeper from him.
