Shaving the Werewolf: The Pissing Link

The television show Animaniacs had a funny segment entitled "Good Idea, Bad Idea." The premise was simple: two short clips would be presented to audiences, one of which was clearly representing a bad idea. Unlike a simple lesson for children, the bad idea was often ridiculous or absurd, a gag rather than a moral. The idea of shaving a werewolf, though never one of the actual show ideas, would be an obvious contender. You get the idea—shaving one's face may be a good idea, but shaving a werewolf is never a good idea.

As for the band, Shaving the Werewolf is probably a good idea, but it's not one that will be obviously so, at least not at first. The band mostly creates a brand of noise-rock that has some connections to heavy metal. Whether listeners will enjoy the music entirely depends on their tolerance for playing with noise. Unlike some noise acts, the band creates mostly short compositions that have a sense of structure. I enjoyed the band's sense of humor, not to mention the punk rock feel of some of the music here. I couldn't decide whether I liked the opening of "Do Mind if I Don't," an electronic voice simultaneously playing within, and against, conventional melody. It caught my attention, but it wasn't something I'd want to experience repeatedly.

Overall, this short release gives listeners either a good introduction to this band or reminds long-time fans that these guys are still at it. I liked the music well enough, but I wasn't swept away by any one track or any one theme. As I noted above, I admired the band's willingness to create short songs, to have a generally recognizable sense of structure, and its punk-like feel / attitude. Nevertheless, I wasn't persuaded that shaving werewolves is a good idea.

Track Listing:
1. Death of the Dying Corpses of Death
2. Do Mind if I Don't
3. Earth Song
4. The Pissing Link

Added: December 3rd 2015
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1506
Language: english

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