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It’s hard to fault a band when they do so many things right, and the Baltimore avant-garde metal act did just that with their final album. Easily the best produced of the bunch, Adultery swings between metallic romance and sheer craziness. Steeped in cataclysmic guitar and swirling polyrhythms, Dog Fashion Disco made sure that their exitlude was well-orchestrated. Elements of hardcore, jazz, electronica, and lounge music can be found throughout the concept album. However, it went virtually unnoticed by the majority of critics and metal circles alike: it was far too unusual for critics to digest and much too sundry for the metal community to accept. But from an outsider’s perspective, the album was sheer gold – in all its eccentricities.

Upon first listen, Adultery seems like something out of a Frank Miller graphic novel. Violence, lunacy and sex (oh my!) permeate the album. While it begins like a child’s story, the harsh reality of Adultery’s violent clash of convulsive guitar and bizarre lyrics soon takes over. A perverse narrative illustrates the iniquitous passion found in rape, murder, and yes, adultery. Todd Smith’s vocals – hauntingly reminiscent of Mike Patton (ex-Mr. Bungle) – propel the album from beginning to end. But that’s not to say that the album is devoid of instrumental talents: guitarist Jasan Stepp builds a massive sound while not being overbearing, and John Ensminger’s exceptional skill on drums echoes right through the album.



At times in Adultery, Dog Fashion Disco sounds far too polished for an avant-garde metal band; the inventive pop hooks in “Sweet Insanity” and “Darkest Days” just make DFD sound like a clever version of Avenged Sevenfold. Don’t let it fool you for a minute, because these lyrics are as nefarious as they come, and there isn’t a soft spot to the album. Discreetly accessible, Adultery resounds with polyrhythmic tracks like the imaginative “The Sacrifice of Miss Rose Covington,” which builds with intensity and vigor as an aural assault. The gyrating guitar riffs and heavy vocal attack draw a portrait of insanity for Dog Fashion Disco’s cache.

Adultery is punctuated with the occasional soft-spoken narrative – a whimper of insanity from within a well-arranged story. Todd Smith is at his best, illuminating the life of a man who undergoes exquisite self-destruction, but it comes with a price; “Private Eye” is nothing short of a pornographic tale of utter sadism. Needless to say, the majority of the songs in the album are sonically and aesthetically appealing, yet still frightening to behold. “The Hitchhiker” chronicles an episode of roadside execution and provides fantastic imagery: “Lone hitchhiker I'll paint the highway with your blood / In the morning light no one will recognize you.” In the title song, the album provides an epic saga of the main character’s life: a portrait of sin, lust, and adultery. Distorted electronics give way to a vocal chorus, drawing an immeasurable representation of the album as a whole:

Although Adultery received a lukewarm reception from critics (and a decidedly cold one from fans), it is Dog Fashion Disco’s strongest foray into mainstream music while retaining their unique candor for songwriting. Todd Smith is at his best, and the instruments throughout the album are performed better than ever. As a concept album, Adultery paints a dramatic depiction of the psychosis of a man ordained for self-destruction.

Favorite Tracks: “The Sacrifice of Miss Rose Covington”; “The Darkest Days”; “The Hitchhiker”; “Adultery”

9/10

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