DNZL – “What Doesn’t Kill You…”
The major art form I’m least enamored with is movies.
Most movies seem more cliched than pop songs and that’s saying a lot.
Yeah, I have a few favorite “serious” movies. But I tend to like movies made by crazy, gay guys such as John Waters, Pedro Almodovar and Gregg Araki-
Or early sixties beach movies with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, or any cheap sixties motorcycle/vampire movies that look more like they were made for three thousand dollars instead of three hundred million.
“What’s all this jibber-jabber about film, Slimedog?” You may well be asking.
Well, you see DNZL’s name refers to the actor Denzel Washington, that I’m proud to say, even I know who he is. And the lyrical themes of their songs pertain to the movies and dialogue of the movies that the actor has worked in.
The concept here is an interesting one, as it is to take the typical hardcore lyrical focus away from political/social commentary to create music that can stand by its own value. To give “everyone a break from political/religious dogmas,” as they so state.
I think it works tremendously. But let’s take a break from my “lyrical content” and give our ears a treat for these songs. And take note that “Flight” and “Fences” are ignored, only because they were reviewed on a previous release:
“Blue Magic” starts out quiet enough, until the guitars come swirling in like slicing, daggers and the vitriolic vocals voice in with, “Goddamn you motherfuckers! Ain’t nobody make a fool out of me.”
The guitars snarl like the best of Guns’N’Roses while the vocals spit out venom like the best of hardcore. “Do you know who the fuck I am? Do you know what the fuck I do?” Maybe I do or don’t but I do know- this is an energetic, rockin’ great tune that ends with an excellent, headbanging, hellacious, highfalutin breakdown.
“Equalizer” begins with some treated drums along with a great sounding, loud guitar that is joined with exasperated, emotional vocals to a rockin’ beat. What soon follows is a melodic breakdown with the vocals portraying, “I don’t think I’m strong enough.”
But then the beat turns towards what sounds like a herd of stampeding buffalo while the plea of the words turns to “Don’t doubt yourself.” Also, “Gotta pray for rain.” While I merely pray for more songs as great as this one spinning my way.
Starting with some slashing chords that somehow makes me think of Devo, “Deja Vu” also contains a high, soaring, melodic vocal. “Have you seen me before?” There’s a nice tension between the ominous sounding guitar, the steady, powerful beat and the almost soul like, falsetto vocals. I’d mention Terence Trent D’Arby but I’m almost sure no one would get my reference. Anyways, this is a kick ass song that swings’n’punks’n’rolls in a modern/traditional way to make it into my favorite song on this release.
“I’ve walked the path, just to take this like the last. I’ve been losing my stride. I’ve been losing my mind.” So begins “#Prey” with a cool, aloof, early punk feel that makes me think of “Dancing By Myself” by Billy Idol. Those lyrics are repeated several times, then all hell breaks loose with the vocals changing into screaming, emotional ones, while the music hits you hard like a sledgehammer crushing your skull.
When this explosive part returns to the quiet beginning the vocals are not as nonchalant but quivver with uneasiness and emotion. “Somebody pray for me,” the chorus goes as these words are repeated passionately with a cool, headbanging riff. While I just pray for songs and bands and releases as great as this one?
I once mentioned to Mel, the lead singer of this band, how they were the only punk band that I’ve encountered that made me think of The Doors. A band that I first ever bought albums by, the first band I saw live and a band that I still love to this day.
It was the dynamics in the music of DNZL, and the theatrical aspect that made me feel this comparison, and I was surprised that Mel was not repulsed with this notion as I know, young people are looking from a different perspective than me.
But I do feel that it would be wrong of me to describe DNZL as sounding like any other band, because though you might hear some influences, what I hear is a band that is one of the most unique sounding bands I write about.
A band that disregards any and all genres and categories and moves forwards in a style and a vision that is something they can call their own.
That is not only their own but something that is very, very good.
That’s how I describe this band. That’s how I describe their music. And that’s how I describe this release.
(Slimedog)
