Dog Fashion Disco
Committed to a Bright Future
Spitfire
Dog Fashion Disco seem to be looking for a way to be different. Their shtick is intertwining carnival melodies and other supposedly unique and ingenious quirks to create what is essentially watered down nu-metal. They include horns, skipping beats and other ska-core elements, but they don’t end up sounding like ska at all. What results is a really awkward sounding record, one painful to listen to and impossible to like.
Pretty much anyone above the age of 20 has seen a John Hughes film from the 1980s (e.g. Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club). One of the things that makes these films so special is the way in which the actors portray the uneasiness and awkwardness of being a teenager. When we watch these films, we feel their embarrassment, as we have all been through it before. I get the same feeling while listening to Committed to a Bright Future. Each time the lead singer belts out vocals (ala Scott Stapp of Creed) I cringe with discomfort, as I know that anyone with even a somewhat discerning ear would laugh uncontrollably at this guy’s rock star posturing. He does, however, try to cover up his arena metal aspirations in the form of an occasional pseudo-angry scream. His cause is only mildly helped by the Faith No More-esque guitars and drums that plod along underneath him. The band tries to represent their stellar label Spitfire Records with metal cred, but they fall way short. The use of the horns, carnival melodies and other corniness make them sound ridiculous, in the same way ICP sounds likes morons.
This is a terrible record and should be avoided like the Black Plague. Why are records this painfully embarrassing and pointless being recorded? Beats me.
Spitfire Records: http://www.spitfirerecords.com/
