In Review: DieMonsterDie - Fall To Your Knees
I was contacted by Shane Diablo (aka “Meatwhistle”) of the shock rock metal band DieMonsterDie and asked if I would like to do a review of their latest album, “Fall to Your Knees.” I’d never heard of them before so I took a look at their website and MySpace pages and saw the stage makeup and costumes and listened to the songs and was instantly thinking: “Hell Yeah!” I quickly replied and asked them to send the material over so I could check it out.
Man was I impressed. These guys are good. Not only are they talented musician who produce high quality tunes, but also they put on a bloody and shocking horror show to rival the best in the business. Their costumes are morbid, Gothic, sinister, and downright bloody and that was a plus right off the bat. I love the theatrics of shock rock. The music is the real meat for the grinder here though. If you’ve never heard of this band and you like metal and horror then you should head right over to their website and take a look and listen. You will be pleasantly surprised and horrified at the same time.
DieMonsterDie is a horror shock rock metal band that hails from Salt Lake City, Utah. They describe themselves as monsters of rock that "are hell bent on destroying rock n' roll and rebuilding it, to suit our needs!" Their musical influences are vast, from AC/DC, The Beatles, GWAR, GG Allen, The Ramones, WASP and everything in between.
The members of the band are:
Zero Delorean: Lead Vocal
Laverne Lavey: Guitar/Backing Vocal
Stikky Nixxx: Bass/Backing Vocal
Meatwhistle: Drums
Here is a quick rundown of the songs on the CD:
1. QUID QUID LATINE DICTUM, SIT ALTUM VIDATUR: Right away I was drawing similarities to Type O Negative . . . but only for a moment (this is no copycat band. Let's get that striaight right away!). The lyrics are horror laden with sacrificing of virgins and burning of witches, mesmerizing background messages and harmonizing. The rhythm in this song is a good crunchy heavy metal riff. The translation to the song title is: “Whatever is said in Latin seems profound.”
2. LYKA THE RUSSIAN SPACE DOG WILL HAVE HER REVENGE : This one is about animal cruelty in the Russian space program and how the dog will have its revenge. This is a fun song with a good driving rhythm.
3. DOUBLE MURDER SUICIDE : The title of this one speaks for itself. The high point to this song is the vocals that reminded me of Lemmy from Motorhead.
4. SHE LOOKS LIKE YOU: This one reminds me of Marilyn Manson for some reason but the musical style is more in the Type O Negative realm. This one has commercial appeal to it and should gain some radio airplay.
5. SKY BLEEDS RED: Punk style crossed with Metallica ala Garage Days mixed with the Ramones.
6. LUCKY NUMBER 666: This one’s good. Mother Mary is turning tricks. Very dark theme but the music has almost a boogie feel to it.
7. DEAD FLOWERS: This one has a good hook and reminds me of the Rolling Stones for some reason. . . . Good remake of a classic Stones song.
8. ALL COVERED IN BLOOD, AND DRESSED LIKE A WHORE: Is this one about cunnilingus and menstruation (maybe that’s just my sick mind at work)? I don’t know. Good guitar riffs. Good blood curdling scream in the middle of this song. I like the handclaps in the rhythm section.
9. WORLD NEEDS MONSTERS: This one showcases DMD's originality. This one defies comparison to any other band. I agree that the world needs monsters—where would we be without them?
10. SHIP WITH BLACK SAILS: I like the intro hook to this one. It takes me back to the resurgence of the garage band days. For some reason this one reminds me of the 1990s grunge era as well.
11. FROM SCREAMING GRAVES WE RISE: This one has a good vocal hook and the theme is timeless.
12. MIDNIGHT RUN TO HOUSTON: Motorhead couldn't have done it any better. This one is a biker anthem with fangs.
13. A PRIEST AND A ZOMBIE RENT A FISHING BOAT AS FRIENDS: This one has a punkabilly feel to it with vocal harmonies and bass line right out of a punk anthem. The guitar riffs are fast and choppy, with palm mutes, and then a long droning chorus riff. The title is awesome. This is one of my peronal favorites.
14. DEEP SPACE ISOLATION PSYCHOSIS: This one starts out like a Metallica punk riff but the vocals separate it into a Gothic rock rhythm and tone.
15. HOW MANY PEOPLE DO I HAVE TO KILL, BEFOR YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU: This one is about a serial killer killing to prove a point to his lover. This one is a good horror themed song. This is another favorite of mine.
16. THE DEAD SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH: This one has elements of Danzig in style and tone, but again, it is completely DMD showcasing their own unique style with hook, line and sinker.
Overall: Good recording quality. Horror themes are delightfully wicked. The music style is a mix of Gothic, punk, metal, shock and horror rock, and something like psychobilly and even elements of grunge. It’s like The Ramones meet Marilyn Manson. The guitars are just right, not too dirty and not too clean. The vocals are strong, on key and grinding in the style of Lemmy (Motorhead), Peter Steele (Type O Negative), with moments of James Hetfeld (Metallica). The guitar riffs and rhythms are reminiscent of Metallica during the Garage Day period, but much more diverse than just a spinoff of some other group. They have a professional presence that is all their own. It’s hard to categorize these guys. But that’s a good thing.
Gore and horror and more horror are the name of the game with DMD. Couple that with good music and theatrics and I think that DMD is a worthy competitor and successor in the shock rock genre as well as mainstream metal. You can’t go wrong giving these guys a listen and buying their CD. I think you’ll be quite satisfied and find yourself going back for more.
So head on over to their website and learn more about DieMonsterDie and tell them that Macabre Cadaver sent you.
www.myspace.com/diemonsterdieLIVES
—Review by Emmanuel Paige
