Genre : Alternative Metal
Label : Indie Recordings
Origin : Norway
Rating : 9.0 / 10
Buy it now
Norway's Dunderbeist brings a wide array of influences to your receptors, and it isn't afraid to show them, either. Opening track "La Guerette du Feu" - bless you, bless you - is as special and deceitful of an entry as any other on the release, as its fabric touches upon well executed, epic power metal as a start, which later transforms to an alternative temper, spiced up finally by intense groove metal. Then, the next track, "Through the Peeophole", not only shares Mike Patton's theoretic (?) voyeur fixation - see his band Peeping Tom and his avid fascination with the classic originator movie of the same title - but the structure of the song, the vocal mannerisms utilized are very reminiscent to that of Patton, too. Granted, the singer, while he does a likable job, does not sport the priceless pipes of his n1 sonic hero, yet the intent to give you a Faith No More song sounds to be Evident - ha, ha. - to me. I'd be surprised if the members of Dunderbeist would reject the assumption that "Through the Peeophole" is FNM influence from top to bottom. This is a mindhack. As you will see, the album bends to the command of the Faith No More influence in an eager fashion, oftentimes giving you results that are top of the tier. There is nothing wrong with such an influence, of course. In fact, the nicely presented Faith No More fixation is one of the bests I can think of. Does it make sense to write "best" in plural? Read on to find out more about this surprisingly-, and radically colorful release.
Third track, "Fear and Loathing" (not in Las Vegas, but, under your skin, for a start) conveys a mixture of early Beasty Boys, and, once again, Faith No More : the chorus of this track is a total tribute. "Lucifer Eyes" starts out with a relatively deluded vocal performance, in my opinion. It is lengthy, sporting an artificial bluesy vibe. When at 1:20 things start to roll, you hear - Surprise, You Are Not Dead - another Faith No More song. This one is an entry the inspirator band probably would have thrown away as "hmm, it has something, but it is not THAT strong". "Lucifer Eyes" is reminiscent to the Faith No More song "Collision" in its basic structure, in my opinion. I write that band name so much in this review, I hope you won't faint no more.
"Worst Sentence" - and you'd rather be shot in the face, huh? - sounds to be one of the flatter tracks on the delivery. A simplistic ACME doom-chord progression flatters a mid-tempo chorus that invites to mind a b-side Megadeth song. This sounds like the rhetorics when Mr. Mustaine goes New World Order in the Old World Odor. Think Dr. Feelgood. Family friendly cartoon metal, and, regardless how the mid-section tries to convey radical emotion in menacing cartoon style - "there is no time to fix you, no time to heal you now" - I must point out that the song failed to bestow the strike, at the first place. Not a bad song. It is just a sonic foam to skillfully conceal an utter pseudo-lack of actual inspiration.
"Shields Aligned" starts out like a Place of Skulls song. Google "Victor Griffin", he is not only the fronter of Place of Skulls and a valuable member of Pentagram, but he also is your Father, Luke. But, hell, check out the 0:48 mark of this entry, and pardon me the immature smiley. :D This is SOOOOO super-early '80s Faith No More, that it is both brilliant and ridiculous. This track is one of the strongest, with a superb-, 101% Camambert-free power metal concept. (So it has 1% of anti-cheese, yeah.) "Back into line, hold formation, hold your shields aligned, wait for my sign." - and all this in a way that remains 101% free of power metal cheese. I. Do. Not. Say. This. Easily. And I do not say easily the following, either. This is a very significant song, in my opinion, which kicks all kinds of asses to hell and back on spot.
"More Me" starts out in a disorganized fashion, and finds pleasure "keeping" - seemingly inadvertently - this pseudo-pace. The intense end section saves something of the day, but there is way too much obstacles in your way until you get there, regardless of the short length. An aptly varied track with significant redeeming values among more insignificant primordial characteristics.
"Winter Past" will masterfully deceive you into thinking that you are listening to some Viking Metal Berserker stuff. Seconds after the intro, the Viking temper submits to easily accessible-, legit alternative metal, and I assure you that the music keeps its dignity, and does not cause harm in Viking metal. It sounds like Viking Abba metal, and, from that point on, you don't really have much other chance than to check it out. The singer is pretty good herein. No effect wizardry, "just" emotion, and that is sufficient.
"8 Crows and Counting" starts out with the signature Faith No More tribal drumming, Mike Bordin style. The whole song is hasty-, desperate, psyho-motorly A.G.I.TATED. to reveal the Faith No More vibe. Partly "Midlife Crisis", partly "Epic", partly "Caffeine". I would be very surprised if you'd listen to this and told me I'm an idiot, this has nothing to do with a Faith No More influence. It has nothing else to do. But, a legit song nevertheless.
Concluding track, "Hum Hum", I leave to you to discover on your own. In conclusion, I will say this : Dunderbeist's Black Arts & Crooked Tails is definitely a pleasant addition to early 2012, and I recommend it with a poker face. A must for all who wants to hear new classic - sorry about that - Faith No More song structures.
Rating : 9.0 / 10
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