Review Summary: A fist-pumping face-breaker of epic proportions, Place Your Bet$ demo is one of the finest treats for any metalcore fan.
Zomboy has become one of the more popular names in that "filthy" world of dubstep I keep hearing so much about (quite frankly, it's not my cup of tea). Here's a history lesson: do you know what Zomboy was doing before he became Zomboy?? The answer is Place Your Bet$.
Place Your Bet$ is a combination of metalcore and electronic music. Sure, this is nothing we haven't seen before (it's getting rather worn out by bands like
Abandon All Ships or
That's Outrageous!), Josh Mellody (Zomboy/Place Your Bet$) provides a genuinely fresh take on the genre that really stands out from the rest, from the deep, deathcore-like growls to the soft melodic cleans.
You really have to give a lot of credit to Josh here. Despite being a metalcore project, one thing remains the same - it's a one-person project. The electronics, the drums, the guitars, all done by Josh. It's rather impressive how one man on his own can write better music than most similar bands with seven members *cough*
Design the Skyline*cough*.
The vocals are one of the most impressive components to this machine of electronic fury. Josh switches between guttural growls and melodic singing, and both sound incredibly impressive. For what they are, the death growls are performed near-flawlessly, which, if you've ever tried unclean vocals yourself, is a difficult task. Unlike other artists of this genre, the clean vocals do not have an over-reliance on autotune. There are a few drops of the stuff here and there, but, for the most part, the singing is naturally done, soft and melodic, and overall highly impressive.
Then there's the actual music. The guitars don't do anything we haven't seen before. There's the obvious use of chugging coated around the majority of the album, there's a heavy reliance on "squealies" in parts, random outbursts of finger-tapping, and simple riffs. This is never a bad thing though. On the majority of the tracks, the guitars flow so well with the electronics it makes them seem more impressive than they actually are. This isn't a gimmick being smacked on top of a metalcore project. The electronics and guitars meld together to create an overall impressive infusion of styles.
The electronics themselves vary throughout the course of the album (or albumette, as it's referred to). 'I Am Stronger' provides sweeping synths that sound like they could be heard in a club, or 'Behind Closed Doors' which opens with a simple yet effective trance tune. The variation helps things keep fresh over the nearly 60 minute course of the album. The electronics truly shine in the intro and interludes, however, as a whole, these tracks feel like filler to extend the album. These tracks turn a 10-track album into a 15-track one. It's enjoyable as a whole as the interludes flow well with the previous/next songs, however deep down they really are an unnecessary addition.
The problems start to sink in when listening to the full album start-to-finish. In the later half, a hint of repetition does become recognisable. Chugging becomes familiar, some of the synths feel like they've been heard before, and you'll get tired of hearing what feels like the millionth guitar squeal. This is just for listening start-to-finish, as there is not a single bad song on here. Even the less interesting ones have a unique perk that makes them truly stand out. 'You Can't Hide' starts off as one of the more dull songs off the album, but comes into its own when a police siren wails into your ears and creates one of the most fun points of the album. And a huge standout is the final track, a rock version of 'Starry Eyed'. This entire track is done in clean vocals, and combines the sheer catchiness of the original song with guitars and electronics to make it more accessible to the common rock or metal fan.
It's a real shame Josh Mellody has chosen to ditch this project in favour of going forward as the dubstep beast Zomboy. The Place Your Bet$ demo is a truly remarkable piece of metalcore music. While most bands of the genre are growing repetitive themselves, Place Your Bet$ truly stands out from the crowd. The electronics are not a last-minute gimmick, every instrument flows as one to create a truly pleasing experience for any metal fan. It's unfortunate that we'll get no more material from this one of Josh's personas, however that just makes this album so much more special.
Recommended Tracks
Never Again
Behind Closed Doors
Starry Eyed
