Dog Fashion Disco - Adultery Review
by Anuj
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I had heard next to nothing about Dog Fashion Disco before I listened to Adultery, except that they were big with the SMNnews.com crew. So I slipped it in, and was treated to a cool-sounding intro, with a film soundtrack vibe to it (more about that later). The first real song, 'The Sacrifice of Miss Rose Covington' starts out with some glorious riffing and continues into some eclectic passages that bring together various sonic elements, in the way Faith No More used to. A lot of the songs are like that, incorporating metallic riffs, horns and soundtrack-like music to create an interesting pastiche. Standouts include the Johnny Cash-like 'Desert Grave' (complete with banjo playing by frontman Todd Smith), the film-noir homage 'Private Eye', and faster tracks like 'Silent Film' and 'Moonlight City Drive'.
As I read the promo and the lyrics, I gathered that this is a concept album, about a 9-to-5 white collared worker with a wife and kids who gives in to his violent, sexual fantasies and sadistic impulses, culminating in a mess involving hookers, drugs and murder. This theme is communicated pretty well, not least of all through the artwork, which is reminiscent of the newer Grand Theft Auto games. In fact, when I had opened the envelope the album was sent in, my mom gave me a stern look, thinking I had ordered porn in the mail! The film-like quality is communicated extremely well, and I would definitely pay to see a film inspired by music like this (rather than the rather disappointing Operation: Mindcrime sequel Queensryche put out earlier this year).
Most of all, I am surprised this band doesn't have a larger fanbase. Songs like 'The Darkest Days' and 'Silent Film' are definitely accessible and good enough to warrant radio attention, even from some of the more nu-metal oriented stations (you know I'm talking about you, 99.7 The Blitz!). They cite Mr. Bungle, Clutch, Faith No More (duh!), System of a Down and Dillinger Escape Plan as influences, but have apparently been forced to tour with the likes of Twiztid and Mushroomhead. In my eyes, they are much better than that; perhaps Mike Patton has a potential opening band for his Peeping Tom tour dates. They've even gone through some lineup changes, and were dropped off their previous label (Artemis) due to some label-reorganizing bulls***. Now on Rotten Records, and with material as good as this, I wish them the best of luck in the future. They definitely deserve it, and have a new fan in me.
RIYL: anything Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle), Dillinger Escape Plan, System of a Down
CD Info and Links
Dog Fashion Disco - Adultery Label:Rotten
Rating:8.5
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Posted by Dr. Piranha:
I f***ing love Dog Fashion Disco more than any band in the world. This cd was amazing.
Posted by nick:
excelent in my opinion ive listed to them for a wile and this is the most creative album yet
Posted by masturbating mannequin:
I am a bid Dog Fashion Disco fan, and I liked the cd a bit. But the day of the dead ep is much better in my eyes.-mark
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