FIVE DEADLY VENOMS

If you're a fan of original, different-sounding Prog that incorporates a vast variety of musical styles blended together into catchy, enjoyable songs, then this album is definitely worth checking out!

I've heard people compare Shaolin Death Squad to Mr. Bungle many times; it's accurate and yet off at the same time. It's true that they sound similar to Mike Patton's song-writing style at times, but I think it's unfair to simply compare the two and leave it at that. SDS (That's quicker to type than their full name!) has truly unique music that doesn't get old after repeated listens and will give you a taste of something beyond the ordinary realm of music.

Vocals: SDS has really unique vocal melodies. The vocals at times can be rough and almost hard rock-like, but for the most part, I'd compare the vocals to something like Mike Patton (Mr. Bungle), Daniel Gildenlow (Pain of Salvation), and Steve Wilson (Porcupine Tree), depending on what section of a song you're listening to. There's nothing overdone or obnoxious, and while the vocals don't really take over any songs, they aren't lost, either. SDS did a great job at balancing everything so that it's not too chaotic, but still has enough going on at any given time that there are no dull sections.

Music: It's hard to accurately describe the music. Imagine that you're at a circus and you hear carnival music. Suddenly the carnival band is playing heavy metal! Wait, no, back to carnival music. What's that? A soft acoustic ballad? Nope it's heavy metal. Ahh, carnival music! etc. Basically, SDS writes amazing songs with riffs that flow seamlessly into one another, despite the fact that they're from completely different genres of music. I particularly think that SDS does a great job at building songs up dramatically, and releasing the build up in different ways. None of the songs seem like they're just there; every song is moving into a direction, and while you have no idea where it's going, you get the sense that it knows exactly where it's going.

If you're interested in listening to some of the tracks before buying, I'd recommend "Farewell", "Scorpion", and "Toad" as my personal favorite songs on the album.