Scapegoat :: Zombie Dog

Bands that color music outside the confined lines of trend and commercialism, yet also merge styles without sounding as if they’ve tried to hard in doing so, are few. Perhaps it’s not so much an issue of how few in numbers, but bands of this ilk aren’t always on the radarscope. Scapegoat is a worthy listen in a tumultuous sea of commonplace choices. And though the release Zombie Dog may be your first introduction to their organic blend of metal and melody, the quintet didn’t just fall off the music truck, as this has been a developing unit since 1998. At first glance, they may look the emo part, but the music speaks of a broader appeal. If Fallout Boy, Slipknot, Shadows Fall, and The Smithereens joined chromosomes in a test tube… the progeny may sound something like what’s available on this must-hear album. From the cover and liner art, the Zombie Dog album assumes a horror-film feel, but that’s where the shock and gore elements end. The imagery will grab attention, while the music therein will certainly retain it. What Scapegoat essentially creates is a collage of evenly proportioned layered melody, vocal harmony, and shards of growling punctuation. Musically, the composition is entirely diverse in influential offerings. Masterfully arranged songs are further enhanced and injected with depth thanks to lyrics that extend beyond the superficial. Zombie Dog is the total package – catchy, melodic, stirring, thrashy and provocative. Standout tracks include the in-your-face opener “Zombies”, with “The Witness” later delving into hope and faith. “The Creative” begins as if a Jack Johnson mellow jam, but builds into an ethereal and punked out tempo. Best of all award goes to “Mother Nature’s Revenge”, rife with every glorious musical nuance, pace, and style any fan of, old school alt harmony, nineties nu-metal experimentation and contemporary metalcore fury could ask for.

www.myspace.com/scapegoat