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Gregorian chants are not what one expects to hear when reviewing a rock or metal CD, yet this is how The Teaser, a demo by Catfish, starts. Catfish hail from France and play a style they define as Expressionist Rock. Funky syncopated rhythms, unique vocalizations and interesting sound effects set Catfish apart from radio rock. The Teaser is a concept album that is just the beginning of a story that will run through future Catfish albums. The albums will tell the tale of a detective named Catfish and his exploits. The Teaser is meant to simply introduce Detective Catfish and his world.
Unfortunately the music does not quite live up to the ambitious world created for it. Pretty much all the vocal work and the unorthodox sound effects got on my nerves after a bit. The vocals run the gamut from high range scat singing to imitating a drum beat and to what sounds like tribal chants. Pulling off all of this requires some amount of talent and I commend the band for doing this. However, as a whole I found the demo to be annoying and barely listenable. Because this is merely a demo, it is undoubtedly not exactly what the band is fully capable of. The band acknowledges this, saying that the demo is merely a taste of what they have in mind. The lack of record label support is the main reason for the raw sound of the demo. Therefore I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on this release. I do not like The Teaser, but my final judgment on Catfish will have to be reserved for when the band puts out a polished full-length.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Maturum Est |
| 2. Handbraker |
| 3. Rendez-vous |
| 4. Minute Mad |
| 5. Next Round |
| 6. A Clue |
| 7. Draka |
: 20.45
| Buy other Catfish albums |
