With all the hallmarks of a private joke that went a little too far, the first release from trio Down I Go is a much deeper beast than might initially be suspected. The most crucial aspect of the album is one that could easily be overlooked – it’s musically impressive and punches with a considerable might that hints at very interesting things to come – in favour of the dinosaur gimmick, but it’s not as if Down I Go are tapping into some subsubsubgenre that’s gagging to be legitimised. The only people that DIG appear to be trying to please is themselves, and that pushes This Is Dinocore into the realms of musical experimentations that actually work.
The nearest musical comparison is Dillinger Escape Plan‘s Irony is a Dead Scene EP, since Pete Frasier’s vocals seem to be paying considerable homage to Patton’s, while the backing is like a cross between DEP and Primus – heavy as a dead Stegosaurus but with the metallic bass sound that Les Claypool patented. The riffs are big enough to suggest that even if Down I Go are just having a laugh they’re able to back themselves up with some serious heft. Atonal screeches from guitar and vox alike, all subtitled by some innovative song structures that are oblique enough to throw the odd curve-ball but nevertheless provide enough familiarity to ensure you feel like you know the general direction.
What’s most pleasing about This is Dinocore is that at no point does it feel like Down I Go is trying to be original simply for originality’s sake. The whole album is fabulously evocative because it’s such a gamble that miraculously pays off, since the very idea of trying to recall the prehistoric era using a few bits of wood, metal and plastic does sound pretty ridiculous. But as an interpretation of an idea, albeit an interestingly ambitious one, it’s well worth checking out. And there’s another factor that can’t be discounted – if you’re into the noisecore of The Locust or Daughters you’d love …Dinocore. No one can hear the bloody words anyway, whether you’re singing about girls, knives or really, really, really, really old birds.
Ben
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