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The Doppler Effect

The Doppler Effect (2005)
Murder Call

Reviewer Rating:

Contributed by: Anchors
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on March 10th 2006

In simple terms, the Doppler Effect is the compression and extension of sound waves as a noise approaches and moves away from a fixed object. The closer an ambulance siren is to your bedroom, the louder it’s going to sound. The closer you move your ear to the speakers, the louder the music is going to sound. This leaves me in a rather indifferent state concerning the band sharing their name with that aural phenomenon.

A metal band seemingly having a bit of an identity crisis on their self-titled EP, the band matches lighting quick riffs and a rhythm section to match with some unnecessarily slowed down sections complete with bad singing. The first track makes this known right from the outset; “Bittersweet Heart” opens and closes with some terrific clean metal riffing, but in between that is some ultimately clumsy songwriting choices and lyrics to match:

And I’m trying to hold everything, inside is a torn up heart with a mind on the other end / So eaten up that absolution barely exists, Inside are some used and broken bones that’ll never mend / And I still sit in silence as I rip myself apart, bit by bit.

Littered all through the record is gothic imagery and self-loathing passages that will undoubtedly bring My Chemical Romance fans out of the woodworks. I really just wish the band would stick to being the metal power they so often hint at. Add a Darkest Hour-esque vocalist to this band, and that’s an extremely formidable act capable of really making some waves in the metal scene, but for the time being the Doppler Effect just trudge through the middle of their songs. The squalling guitars simply do not match up with the singing, and the punk leanings they go on for a lot of the guitar work during bridges doesn’t work any more in their favor.

The last track is over ten minutes long, and once again what starts promisingly with some quick riffing is dragged back into the muck as soon as vocalist Marc Moyce starts singing. The track goes through several stages, many of them extremely enjoyable metal chord progressions, but the damn singing kills the momentum each and every time.

Either Moyce needs to learn how to scream, or he needs to be replaced, because this pop-punk-meets-metal is simply making me want to move farther and farther away from the speakers.

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Anonymous (March 15, 2006)

Zackass: Are you trying to educate me? Becuase if so I have something I need to teach you: AMERICAN ENGLISH ISN'T WORLD ENGLISH. Maybe you yanks are the ones who should learn to spell? Mind you, how are Americans meant to be able to spell when their own President can't even spell his own name? POES.

Anonymous (March 15, 2006)

Im definately not in the band. Im just a fan from Cape Town who thinks the band have been unfairly reviewed.

Zackass (March 14, 2006)

In response to that guy who was all up on the Doppler Effect's dick: Learn to spell before you try and support shitty bands.

clamum (March 13, 2006)

Fucking garbage. Why even review this bullshit?

Anonymous (March 12, 2006)

this sucks ass

feeeding5000 (March 12, 2006)

Jesus, I hope the anonymous post isn't by someone in the band, or who knows them. A band can write songs about serious, close topics, but they can still suck. Sorry about the brother/car thing, though.

givemeamuseumandillfillit (March 12, 2006)

If he's so talented, how come he just sounds like a carbon copy gothy metal pop singer?

sceneupdates (March 12, 2006)

Owned. Score is for the comment below

Anonymous (March 12, 2006)

Maybe you should think when writing reviews. Not every band wants to sound like the carbon copy metalcore bands of today. Maybe The Doppler Effect's whole aim wasn't to sound overly metal but rather balance melody and agression in equal measures?

How you can constantly make references to Marcs vocals is beyond me. Did you realise when writing your review that he is a trained singer who has not only sung for this band but various choirs and vocal groups in the past? Did you realise that the song you picked out to critisise was about his brother being dragged for a killometer under a car when he was knocked off his bicycle and the resulting pain it caused him? Would you rather him pick rhyming words out of his ass just so he can sound "scene" or "metal"?

You are allowed to give bad reviews by all means, but if you dont do your research then your evaluation holds no ground because you are reviewing something you have no knowledge on. Enough said.

Anonymous (March 11, 2006)

actually the doppler effect describes how the farther something away is, the lower it will sound, and gain pitch as it gets closer and the waves compress more.

Anonymous (March 10, 2006)

take a nap

sceneupdates (March 10, 2006)

Sorry for the bad spelling and shit below, i've never been this tired in my life

sceneupdates (March 10, 2006)

Well being from South Africa, and this band aswell, I thought I would have a little input..

First of all, this band has already broken up, so I dont see them replacing Marc. However though, they might be reforming with no Marc (Vocals) and Greame (Bassist)

Oh and, the last track features a SECRET track, this doesnt make the song 10 minutes long, it just means that theres a song, some silence, then the secret track

Oh and Bittersweet Heart and My very own fairtytale tragedy are amazing songs, yes I know they aren't the most ground breaking band ever, but they deserve more then 1.5/5.

I am seeing them tomorrow for their last show and I plan on enjoying an amazing band with incredible stage prescence.

http://thedopplereffectband.com/Images/previewimg.j pg - here is a slightly better picture of the artwork

Thank you