The Workout - Feed Me a Stray Cat (2008)

When keyboardist Corey Tilton gave me a copy of Feed Me a Stray Cat he called it their "shitty little disk," but it is anything but. Hailing from scenic Weymouth, Ma (just south of Boston) The Workout is a unique group that sports impressive versatility, technical ability and songwriting in all of their music. A self-described "synthcore" band their songs seamlessly blend metal, punk and pop in a refreshing style that is surprisingly easy to listen to (even for ska freaks like me).

This disk may be short, but The Workout covers a lot of different ground on it. They move from pretty heavy metal, to elegant piano interludes to bouncy pop-punk in the blink of an eye and it never seems forced. On my first few play throughs I had trouble hearing when a song ended because the liquid smooth transitions thrown into every track. Passionate lead vocals set the bar pretty high for other acts and are backed up by a dedicated “screamer” which fosters interesting call-and-response sections. But that's not to say that every other band member isn't strikingly technically skilled. While it’s hard to pin down exactly what they’re doing musically The Workout definitely brings a lighthearted feeling to the table. Successfully walking the fine line between pleasantly goofy and inanely silly, you never get the feeling they’re taking themselves too seriously, even during shred-tastic solos and gut-wrenching breakdowns. The opening track is literally about Rock-paper-scissors and “Fuck Absinthe” is a hilarious and surprisingly insightful take on the classic pop-punk whiney break-up song.

My biggest gripe with this EP is the lengthy instrumental interludes and breaks. Maybe this is just why I don’t like metal, but songs seemed to take too long to intro and took too many extended interludes mid song; “The Draft” and “Return of the Hun” are both over 4:00. Aside from that one small gripe, Feed Me a Stray Cat has a lot to offer. The Workout’s sheer versatility ensures that there’s something for everyone. Throw in technically impressive... everything, a good does of melody when needed, and solid hooks and you get a winner. It may be only four tracks long, but good things come in small packages and everyone needs to give this one a listen.

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The Dillinger Escape Plan with Mike Patton - Irony Is A Dead Scene (2002)

In late 2001, up-and-coming experimental mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan found themselves without a vocalist when founding member Dimitri Minakakis suddenly parted ways with the band because of their rigorous touring schedule. While they looked for a full-time replacement for Minakakis, the band recruited several of their friends to handle vocal duties on tour. Among these friends was the legendary Mike Patton, who they had met when Patton asked them to come on tour with Mr. Bungle. There must have been some sort of apparent chemistry between the group, because Patton later agreed to help produce and contribute to an upcoming EP. By the time Irony Is A Dead Scene had been recorded and released, the band had already been touring with newly-found vocalist Greg Puciato for over a year.

Patton's vocal style is actually very well complemented by the spastic style of The Dillinger Escape Plan's music, which is frequently on the verge of total chaos and destruction. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that there isn't structure and melody here, however. The first two tracks, Hollywood Squares and Pig Latin, are the obvious standouts of the EP and do a good job of showcasing some of Patton's unique vocal acrobatics. The only weak moment to be had here is the underwhelming cover of Aphex Twin's Come To Daddy, which they still manage to do a surprisingly good job of considering the circumstances. Irony Is A Dead Scene isn't an easy listen, but The Dillinger Escape Plan and Mike Patton manage to play off each other's strengths very well, despite the highly experimental nature of the artists involved. This ranks up there among some of my all time favorite EPs, and is a must listen for fans of DEP and Mike Patton, or just fans of experimental/hardcore music in general.

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