Conor Fynes 'Sex Offender' - Polkadot Cadaver (7/10)

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.