Shaolin Death Squad - Intelligent Design (2006)

This is a very interesting CD. I wouldn't really call it metal and I wouldn't really call it rock. It does have occasional blast beats and the vocals do occasionally get very harsh. But it still doesn't have a galloping beat, which is characteristic of the more avant-garde. These guys are very, very strange. I like them all the same, though.

Shaolin Death Squad is from Texas, I believe. I'm not going to lie and say they don't look like jackasses. But hey, pretty much everyone in metal looks and acts like an idiot, so that shouldn't be an issue. Anyway, this is their latest release, which was actually released last year.

I can't categorize this album. It most closely correlates with more avant-garde bands, though. Think Arcturus mixed with Estradasphere, only with way less of a classical influence. This was actually recommended to me like, a few months ago. I never really listened to it until the past few days, though. I'll get to actually talking about music now, I suppose.

Each song off this album follows a sort of sound. It's hard to put my finger on, but it's not like every song is different. My favorite off the album would probably be A Terrible Way To Use a Sword just because it's fun to listen to. I'm also rather fond of The Face Insecurity Killed. The former is a bit heavier, the latter is more mellow. They compliment each other nicely. A Terrible Way To Use a Sword has a pretty catchy bridge accompanied with a blast beat. In fact, the whole song's pretty damn catchy. Radio Feeler probably deserves mention, too, but it really didn't do as much for me as the others.

The thing about this album that strikes me is that it isn't "look what I can do" avant-garde. It's a fun little CD, it's not like you have to sit down and stroke your chin for hours in pensive thought. It's a nice change from what I usually waste time listening to. Surprise, surprise, no pretentious, artsy crap this time around. Look out, though, I'm downloading a Ved Buens Ende CD.

The vocals aren't soaring and falsetto..ey, either. They're modest; nothing spectacular. The interlude parts in A Terrible Way To Use a Sword are pretty damn cool, too. They've got the gruff vocals down pretty well. So, I guess this CD isn't really spectacular. It's just, there. I like it just fine. If you want some catchy, fun, sometimes weird stuff, check these dudes out.

7/10