Review Summary: Bring the lawsuits Motherfuckers...
Whenever one hears the name ‘Circus of Dead Squirrels’ (CoDs for short), you can’t help but have your curiosity peaked a little bit. The name stands out as unique, bizarre, and insane; which the band’s music certainly lives up too.
CoDs (founding members being Matt ‘Ripchord’ Foran and Daniel Raphael) came roaring into the industrial music world with their debut album ‘Indoor Recess’ in 2004, having since developed a cult following within the indie/underground Industrial scene. Often being praised by both fans and critics for their aggression, brutal honesty, twisted sense of humor, and their willingness to give the middle finger to all those who deserve it.
Then in 2007, CoDs released their second LP, ‘The Pop Culture Massacre and the End of the World Song-A-Long Song Book’ and took everything to the next level.
In my opinion, this album is the bands best effort to date; with America’s heavily commercialized and bloated pop culture being it’s overarching theme. Mowing down familiar mascots that corporations have put out there to sell their products.
Right off the bat, the album opens up with a Disclaimer. It gives a warning to the easily offended and states the bands rights to satire for any of the corporations wanting to possibly sue, and ending with “So please, thoroughly *** off or enjoy the show”.
The track ‘Overpopulation Annihilation’ then busts through the door like a bat out of hell and punches the listener in the face. While it’s easily the albums most conventional song, it is also one of the best; with roaring heavy guitar riffs and hard hitting drums, all accompanied by Matt’s guttural roars and vocals, ranting about the annoying/horrible people we have to endure in our day to day lives.
The next track ‘The Happy Meal Worm’ then introduces the listener to the more insane circus sounding aspects of the band, as it lampoons McDonalds.
As the album progresses, most tracks ends with a sample of a classic PSA ad (examples being Pee Wee Hermans Crack Cocaine PSA), which is a very nice touch in creating the albums atmosphere and theme.
The album continues with it’s onslaught, with humorous attacks on Elmo (Elmo’s Last Laugh), food mascots (Hell’s Kitchen!), and President George W. Bush (President Pinocchio).
Then we get to the track ‘Nobody Quite Like Me’. This gem of a song is arguably one of the best the band has ever put out. Pulling back a little, this tune doesn’t feature any parody or satire, but rather a somber look at the life around you. It’s haunting, beautiful, and for me at least, relatable.
The album then ends with ‘Utopia Burning’, which pretty much sums up the entirety of the albums message. It is fast, brutal, and unforgiving with its final blow to American commercialism, a perfect climax to the album.
‘Pop Culture Massacre’, unlike their previous album ‘Indoor Recess’, which is far more electronic and keyboard heavy, ‘Pop Culture Massacre’ features more of a classic metal/rock vibe, all while maintaining the bands signature sound, making this the most accessible album from the band for new comers.
While the album certainly isn’t for everybody (many pure metal enthusiasts will probably be put off), if you’re looking for something new and unique from the industrial music scene, I couldn’t recommend this album any more. Chaotic, angry, instrumentally complex, and featuring a good message with a twisted grin, Circus of Dead Squirrels ‘The Pop Culture Massacre and the End of the World Sing-A-Long Songbook’ is a cannot miss.
Recommended Tracks
Overpopulation Annihilation
Prizefighter
Elmo’s Last Laugh
Nobody Quite Like Me
Utopia Burning
