SEX OFFENDER

Well, I guess that it's more like a disappointment by the standard that the band set with the release of their 2007 debut album Purgatory Dance Party. To me, that was easily the best album of the last decade and I rank it among my top 30 favorite albums. So you can probably understand the high expectations that I had when I heard the announcement of a new album coming out in May. I immediately pre-ordered the release off the band's website and marked my calender!

Before the album finally arrived, Polkadot Cadaver released a single off the upcoming release titled Bloodsucker and that was where the gears of confusion were set in motion for me. As I mentioned in my review of that release, I found this single to be a bit out of place due to its somewhat generic chorus section and the whole approach to music making seemed out of place with the debut album. I did eventually grow to enjoy this single even though, to be completely honest, I would have probably dismissed it all together have it not been released by Polkadot Cadaver.

Then came the second piece of the puzzle with a new sample track on the band's MySpace site called Cake & Eat It Too. This track was more in line with the general style of Purgatory Dance Party but there was still something off with the whole experience. It certainly didn't help that the chorus sounded extremely out of place with the rest of the composition. I finally found a simple explanation to my general dislike of these two tracks; they both followed a relatively easy to follow verse/chorus/verse/chorus/interlude/bridge/chorus -formula that didn't fit with the band that I've grown to love so far (this includes Dog Fashion Disco material).

I played the CD as soon as it arrived at my door and must have given it 4-5 spins that first evening alone. After this overexposure, I was quite surprised at how little of this material actually stuck with me. There were many recognizable sections here and there, but the overall feel for the album was non-existent! I've now played this album around 20 times and my opinion of the recording is that it's a great one. Unfortunately, it's nowhere near as mindbogglingly amazing as the debut album. Allow me to be more precise:

The album begins on a high note with Opus Dei/Seagrave combo which brings back the memories of the intro to Dog Fashion Disco's final record Adultery. So far, we're off to a great start! Then we get the aforementioned single, Bloodsucker, which doesn't really fit in with the first two tracks, but it still makes sense to place it here since it does soften the blow of Starlight Requiem. This tracks is plain weird. The anti-religiously charged lyrics strip all the clever sarcasm that Todd Smith has built with his ingenious lyrics in the past and I'm truly surprised that he decided to go down this route. The composition itself is really nothing special, following the previously mentioned formula.

Stronger Than Weak returns us to slick word puzzles but the song itself is not among the band's greatest moments. Luckily, Slaughterhouse Striptease and the album's title track return us to the territory of Purgatory Dance Party, great stuff indeed! Unfortunately that's pretty much all of the highlights since Cake & Eat It Too, Mongoloid and Forever And A Day don't do as much for me. Great tracks, but the Polkadot Cadaver magic is just not there.

You might be asking yourself (that is if you've actually read this far) why I gave this album an excellent rating when I mostly complain all throughout my review? It's not that I dislike this album since it clearly has a few amazing moments. My main concern comes up wherever I try comparing it to the debut album; Purgatory Dance Party is an essential piece of music that should be experienced by all fans of Metal music with a twist. Sex Offender rates just above the excellent level but I it's definitely standing on the edge to the good, but non-essential territory. I would have probably dismissed it as such and not put in the extra effort of exploring the album have it not been released by Polkadot Cadaver.

***** star songs: Opus Dei (0:52) Seagrave (4:32) Slaughterhouse Striptease (3:35) Sex Offender (4:31)

**** star songs: Bloodsucker (3:58) Stronger Than Weak (3:38) Cake & Eat It Too (5:05) Forever And A Day (5:32)

*** star songs: Starlight Requiem (4:03) Mongoloid (4:48)

Best known as the project that rose from the ashes of the well-known and influential avant-garde metal band Dog Fashion Disco, Polkadot Cadaver came onto the scene as something of a joke between two of Dog Fashion's members. Experimenting with different things they wanted to hear, the band would eventually come on its own with 'Purgatory Dance Party', an album I have not yet heard at the time of writing this, but have heard great things about it. Usually, avant-garde metal is a challenging creature to get into, but sometimes, the style is fused with pop to create something that is equally catchy. Polkadot Cadaver are made something of a contradiction in this sense, although they have very experimental arrangements with their music, the songs here are kept within a fairly straightfoward pop format. Although I do not find myself liking all of the quirky things that Polkadot Cadaver do here, it is evident that the band is quite good at what they do, and even excellent at times, although the song does start to slip towards the end.

If I was going to draw comparisons to other bands (besides Dog Fashion Disco), Polkadot Cadaver sounds like a crossover between Mr. Bungle and Pain of Salvation. The melodies are kept strong during the album's better parts, and while there are many pop conventions here, the weirdness is brought forth through some experimentation with different electronic sounds and obscure lyricism. The guitars have some straightforward riffs reminiscent of progressive metal, but it is really left up to the electronic aspect of 'Sex Offender' to give the album a weird flair. The album's single 'Bloodsucker' is ridiculously catchy, and while it could easily be heard on any rock radio station, there is always weird sampling that runs throughout the song. Often, this can wear a bit thin, but it does add a new dimension to the music.

The songwriting here is a little up and down. 'Bloodsucker' is probably the highlight here, although 'Sea Grave' and the distinctly U2-sounding 'Forever And A Day' make for a good listen as well. The album's biggest flaw is that as the songs go on, they keep getting less memorable, until the last song, which brings the quality of the album up before it ends completely. Although the music does grow with a few listens, the songs still feel a bit lacking, as if they are stuck in some uncomfortable limbo between aiming to be catchy, and aiming to be weird. The ultimate result is a bit underwhelming; a collection of songs that do leave an impression collectively, but apart from the single, they don't really leave a mark after the listen is over.

'Sex Offender' is an interesting album, and Polkadot Cadaver is a band that has an interesting and even unique sound to them. That adds points right off the bat for 'Sex Offender', but like many avant-garde ventures, not everything here works. Sometimes, the album's weirdness and somewhat awkward lyrical content borders on kitsch, despite the high quality that is evident in this band's music. All the same, Polkadot Cadaver are a band to keep an eye out for.