Review Summary: Don’t automatically judge this album because of the album cover, it’s surprisingly not the equivalent of that, both musically and even lyrically (well on occasion for that one)
If there was a way to describe the Bloodhound Gang in the simplest way possible, it’d be this; they don’t give a damn what people have against them, or what they think of them in general. If you take a look back at their history, you’ve by now got a glimpse that they are a nonsensical band. I mean, I’m not saying they don’t have correct brain cells to make at least something emotional or discreet, it’s just saying they are ultimately focused on comedy and laughs. Sadly though, you won’t find much serious songwriting abilities coming from this band, and honestly
Hefty Fine reaches the apex of pure stupidity; but is this a bad thing you might ask?
And the question yields a no. Honestly, when I myself picked up this album from a local CD shop, I thought I was in for a complete abomination from this band and it would be incredibly stupid; I think you get the idea from the album cover. But it turns out; the album was robust in delivery and had many consistent songs to keep it flowing without laziness. However the biggest disappointments here are definitely the song quantity, overall album length, and skits. As a start, there are only eleven tracks presented, much are very quick and relatively simple in musical terms. To regress downhill further, there are two or three skits, much of which play no collective role through the making of this, meaning they don’t progress or tell at least some sort of coherent meaning; they are just there for no particular reason, in all honesty. Just take the thirty second short ‘Diarrhea runs in the family’, for example. While it’s somewhat creative by the man on the john making a cell phone call, it plays no further role in the album, and on top of that, it’s pretty lame and unimaginative. Generally speaking, though, the Bloodhound Gang have made better skits (
Hooray For Boobies is the spot-on landing zone for this) and this album shows the worst of them.
The record is essentially more of the same from this band; two chord guitar riffs, foolish lyrical delivery with satire thrown on top, and their standard rap-rock styled musicality. Luckily though, none of these are complaints, which is obviously good. Sure, nothing here has improved dramatically, perhaps minus better song titles, but the album has a bubbly attitude toward style and one hell of a nice charisma to spark up the flavor and tone.
It technically begins with ‘Balls Out’, a 110% rap rock song with a bulky riff and pounding electronics (‘Strictly for the Tardcore’ is just a ten second long, completely unnecessary skit or intro rather talking about how Eminem cusses or something), making this one Bloodhound Gang’s heaviest songs to date. The lyrics use a rapping style with the typical numskull lyrics to make it actually quite fun; it’s catchy, but nothing more. ‘Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo’ is another standout, which was also a chosen single with one sexy music video. Even though the song is simple beyond belief, and it doesn’t have much fluid in it, the chorus is undeniably catchy and has a strong ability to make you tap your foot. Once again, it’s only catchy and you’ll probably move onto something else after you’ve heard it ample times.
‘I’m the least you could do’ is probably the closest thing you’ll find on this album that’s serious, and believe it or not, emotional. That’s right, an emotional Bloodhound Gang song. Driven by a tender, passionate piano with the perfect combination of guitars and drums, this all makes it an outstanding song with a positive meaning towards it (something about not being good enough for a person, I believe). ‘Ralph Wiggum’, is well, in the name, the cutesy hilarious character in The Simpsons. There’s nothing eye-opening or jaw-dropping with this song in all honesty, it’s a “playing it safe” song if you will, a song very accessible and perfect for any type of person. The song is silly, fun to sing along with, and riff is very easygoing and enjoyable to play along with. ‘Something Diabolical’ absolutely screams atmosphere with the abundance. Lead on with spacy, floating synthesizers and guest vocalist Bam Margera; this merits the most atmospheric song on here and most relaxing. In other words, it’s not your common Bloodhound Gang we’ve all known, it’s almost a completely different identity; and the best part is, it’s not bad either. Surprisingly, the song fits well with the album and is very memorable; possibly the most memorable track on the album believe it or not.
There’s nothing depressing with this album or band in general, and I think it’s why I like these guys so much. With
Hefty Fine, there’s nothing noticeably different that has changed with the band. The skits, however, are pure garbage and should be skipped (well then again, there’s no real point because they are too short for even compromising and understanding fully). Admittedly though, they’ve achieved better, and this one doesn’t cut it. While this album is perfect for summer and the sun in general, marked with its positive attitude towards life and upbeat antics, the songs can get boring and lose their momentum. Give this album a listen, it’s a very quick album that I’m sure won’t be a problem for most people.
Song recs:
Balls Out
Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo
I’m the Least you could do
Ralph Wiggum
No Hard Feelings
