Dog Fashion Disco, what one odd and crazy band this is. This music is probably the most original music I have heard in quite sometime. I don't even know how to describe it.
Dog Fashion Disco put so many styles of music into their own it's quite a treat for the ears, from heavy metal, hardcore, ska, jazz and many other styles. They really remind of me of listening to something as random as such bands like System of a Down with quite a few odd changes in many of their songs, guitar and vocals in this band remind me of CKY quite a bit also. Many people I suppose call it circus music, which is just from how odd everything sounds with such odd keyboard sounds, seeming to come from something you would hear while watching clowns juggle or something.
The song content on this album is quite funny, a few songs which just make you go "WHAT THE HELL AM I LISTENING TO?" Songs about the singers first acid trip which I found to be funny as hell, to catchy as hell songs such as "Through Rapists Eyes" which are just really odd
Vocals- This guy can scream, growl, yell, and do it great, he can change his voice pretty quickly from sounding complete clean singing in a very clean voice, to sounding haunting and crazy like a lunatic. Maybe not the best vocalist you will ever hear, but for what this is, it's great to hear.
Guitars- Throughout each song there is some either heavy as hell riff going on or none at all. In each song the guitar has a crunching and powerful riff, mostly fueled by just power chords and palm muted goodness, but it fits the music so well that it's not a bad thing like most people would think.
Keyboards- Wow, if it weren't for the keyboards, I doubt I would be into this band much at all, also I highly doubt the music would be anywhere near as entertaining as it is. Keyboards run in and out through every song, making the atmosphere in most songs great. Haunting the background to make it have a bit of a darker feel, to other random goofy as hell "circus" moments. I love the stuff this guy can play.
Drums- I am not a huge drum fanatic, and really can't tell a bad drummer from a good. If what is being played fits the music well and sounds good, then that is what I consider it. I can't really go into any instrument technically and say "he should have did this and such and what here" but as I said above, the drummer always has an interesting beat to go on, fits in every song and I hear no wrong, from going to pretty fast rhythms to slow odd beats, it's all done quite well.
Bass- The bass, is great, you can hear quite a bit of jazz influencing the style the bassist plays, or at least I think so. He stands out quite a bit on his own, but you can't expect to much since a lot of the time, the guitars are outdoing the bass quite a bit. I haven't heard anything bad about the bassist so far.
*Track by Track review*
Love Song for a Witch- Opening up with haunting keyboard and powerful guitar riff you probably wonder what to expect in the next few moments. Then out of no where a very thrash like guitar riffs opens the song while the keyboard plays some haunting melody. A complete change in the song from heavy guitar to wacky keyboards and vocals that join in and remind me much of something you would hear from System of a Down. The song changes from heavy to wacky quite a bit, then the singer just uses his vocals to an extreme amount and sounds like something from a death metal band.
Rapists Eyes- Another song which opens quite heavy, with the singer using quite a powerful/aggressive vocals. The song changes a bit and then goes into a keyboard/bass melody which sounds like a good change, leading into the chorus which the vocalist uses a great soft voice as the guitar stays heavy, but in a rhythm that makes the chorus stand out from much others on the album. This is probably one of the best songs on the albums and with it's soft piano like closing it's a treat for the ears.
Dr. Pirahna- From a nice quiet piano like closing from the last song, to a heavy guitar and drum opening of this. Judging from the opening there is nothing to interesting about this song, but the keyboards keep my attention quite well leading into the great chorus. Again, the song reminds me of something from early System of a Down. The guitar rips through the song quite well, and the singer near the middle uses his voice for the best. All though a very boring opener for the song, after the first minute it really picks up and sounds great.
Featus on the Beat- Palm muted guitars and keyboards run in and out of each other through this song. The keyboards lend quite a good atmosphere in the background, the guitars just crunch through the whole thing and sound heavy as hell. Vocally it's another quite aggressive good song, but as everything gets heavy as hell, a sudden change to just an odd keyboard dwindling a weird rhythm, and then the song gets quite a bit softer in and out of chorus's.
Worm in a Dogs Heart- A song which in the beginning sounds like something from an SNES horror game or an evilish type circus with the lonely keyboard going on for a bit, then suddenly guitars rip through the song and pretty much smash everything into a heavy rhythm, until the songs breaks into a jazzy odd beat. Not the biggest standout song, but it's still catchy every time you listen to it. The subject matter is nothing more than the title says, at least it sounds like...very interesting to say the least.
Plastic Surgeons- Sounds like a bunch of random doctors about to kill someone in the beginning of the song, with how the lyrics are said, obviously not the subject matter, but again, the keyboards flow great throughout the song. There isn't anything spectacular with this song, as it sounds a bit to much like the last.
Pogo the Clown- This song is PURELY jazz for the most part, it sounds so great, the lyrics are a bit odd, but still a great change for the album, right when it's needed to make it all seem fresh. The only thing that makes it sound not as jazzy is the heavy guitar that makes an appearance here and there, but it's such a catchy melody, the bass sticks out the most as well as the calm piano. Great song musically and vocally.
Castaway- Evilish quick keyboard opens up the song as the vocals tell a story about well as it seems, a cast away. From a nice soft into until the guitars make a short appearance to the soft quirkiness that just adds much to the very odd song. I love the bass in this song as it just is used and sticks out with a very odd rhythm that follows the song greatly. Vocally it's soft and heavy as hell. Oddly as familiar as their formula is with most songs, it never really gets repetitive you just have to love the keyboards throughout.
Nude in the Wilderness- Another jazzy style intro to the song, as the piano/keyboard/vocals take the intro and make it a quite catchy one. The guitars mostly in this song are palm muted with heavy goodness. Drumming sticks out quite a bit in this song to me, as well as the odd vocal style that this guy uses and hell I think I even heard maraca's in the song.
Acid Trip Memoirs- This song is lyrical greatness to me, I am not one for drugs but just how he describes his first acid trip at the age of 17 is just funny as hell. The rhythm to this song is pure fun, and CATCHY AS HELL. It's soft, it's heavy but just how the lyrics are explained is funny. Another stand out song on the album. I love it.
Deja Vu- Bass and acoustic guitar open this song where the bass sticks out over all others for once in a few songs. Softly spoken vocals are greatly drawn into the song, they are quite haunting mixed in with the jazzy bass and piano rhythm. Can you expect the song to stay soft though? Surprisingly this song stays soft throughout most of the song, then the jazzy horn comes in does it's own little solo which sounds great. I love the jazz this band can pull off and how random they are because I wasn't really expecting it on the song at all. A great song to listen to, and the vocals are great through-out.
Magic Band of Fools- Not sure what to think of song, but it has a jazzy intro with a country twang to it. Horns blast throughout in the background, and it sounds great, it's a song that I would imagine that would roll through the credits of a movie. This might not be the most standout track on the album, but it's fun to listen to. A few minutes into the song quickly changes to something jazzy to guitars coming in with an explosive riff then back to jazz.
*Hidden song* Nothing but quite hardcore style riffs and quite fast heavy vocals for the first part, a nice middle part to the song with bass/guitar/drums going at it quite well and softly. I can't really say anything else much about it, but it sounds quite interesting. Hidden songs annoy the hell out of me though.
Anyway, in closing, This is a great album, one that I have enjoyed listening to and I just need to buy more of their stuff now. Took me WAY to long to write all this, but it's worth buying, or at least something to try out if you are currently looking for new music. Enjoy-
