Dog Fashion Disco – “Adultery”

Dog Fashion Disco’s latest album Adultery is being released on Rotten Records on April 4th. PureGrainAudio has once again received a pre-release promotional copy prior to the street sale date. The simplest way to describe their music would be to call it modern rock. Within this definition their sound is as diverse as the artists they have giged with. To list just a few: System Of A Down, Stone Temple Pilots, P.O.D., Deterrence, Mindless Self Indulgence, Mushroomhead, Nothingface, and Primer 55. The quartet will be touring the U.S. throughout April and May, starting with their two CD release shows on March 31st, and April 6th.

Adultery is given 4 out of 5 for the music on the 50-minute album. The music is a clear blend of the band’s musical influences (as listed on their myspace page), System of a Down, Tool, Clutch, and Mr. Bungle. Mr. Bungle style arrangements are used with brass and bowed string instruments. Choruses often sound similar to those of System of a Down. Tool style repeated patterns are apparent as well as Clutch style rock ’n’ roll grooves. The result is a unique musical product with catchy vocal hooks, unusual timbres, and creative interludes.

Each song is fun and interesting, but the real strength lies in the album as a whole. Adultery is based on a theme of 1950’s detective crime stories and comics. The songs revolve around the story of a detective chasing a cold-blooded killer. In showing their diversity, there is a western-style track about the killer burying a body. The track, “Desert Grave” is complete with low airy vocals (very Elvis like), acoustic guitar, banjo, and muted trumpet. The one downside is that the album is greater than the sum of its parts. Adultery is such a unified cohesive release that the songs do not have the same effect if listened to out of context.

For considerations specific to the band, Dog Fashion Disco receives 2 out of 2. The band has recorded several studio albums, and shows no signs of loosing creativity. As musicians Dog Fashion Disco have proven to have more integrity than most, they clearly spent their time with Adultery to ensure a quality product. Recognition must be given to them for experimenting so freely with their music. Many bands simply stick to what has proven to work in the past, resulting in redundant albums. Their live show is also a spectacle worth watching.

The sound quality of this album gets 2 out of 2. Tones and timbres are appropriately leveled and mixed. All instruments and sounds can clearly be heard, even when unusual effects or arrangements are used. The guitars have a dirty rock ’n’ roll sound, the bass is full, and the vocals have the right amount of echo and/or effects where needed. Keyboards, brass, and other instruments are blended in perfectly.

Dog Fashion Disco receives 1 out of 1 for the physical attributes of Adultery. The CD cover and insert promote the theme of the album. The cover artwork is done in the style of a comic book, and the pages are all flat (i.e. not glossy) to maintain the graphic novel feel. A nice touch is the way the tracks are listed on the insert. While the back cover uses the conventional numeral system, the insert lists the tracks as ‘chapters,’ e.g. chapter one. The Uninvited Guest. All fonts are easy to read, there are some pictures of the band, and the layout is straightforward and effective.

A score of 9 out of 10 makes Adultery and album definitely worth buying. Anyone who is a fan of the influences of Dog Fashion Disco will find this album to be creative and enjoyable. When listened to in its entirety Adultery is an experience not commonly available from today’s rock recordings.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. The Uninvited Guest
02. The Sacrifice of Miss Rose Covington
03. Silent Film
04. Sweet Insanity
05. Desert Grave
06. Moonlight City Drive
07. Private Eye
08. The Darkest Days
09. Dead Virgins Don’t Sing
10. The Hitchhiker
11. 100 Suicides
12. Adultery
13. Mature Audiences Only

Run Time: 50:30
Release Date: 2006