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Scapegoat

Zombie Dog (2008)
East/West

Reviewer Rating:

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

Published on June 20th 2008

"Screamo" is my generation’s hair metal. Both genres favor being over-the-top in all areas, from big hairstyles to melodramatic lyrics about the ladies. Of course, Poison was more into banging the babes than bemoaning their crimson lips turned to blood and blah blah blah, but you get my point. Oh, and of course there’s the music: Screamo and hair metal are all about neutered riffage that somehow never rocks. Ever.

A glimpse at new band Scapegoat’s MySpace might lead one to believe they’re a straight power-metal band, but rest assured, they’re no Dragonforce. Granted, they incorporate tons of metal riffage and double-bass beats, and frontman Kit Waters has got that soaring metal falsetto schtick down pat. But it’s the band’s mixture of clean vocals and abrasive grunts over bad breakdowns that recalls more of a screaming emotional hardcore vibe (Will our children create a dumber genre name? Will I find the strength to forgive them?). Scapegoat walks the shit-smeared line between Children of Bodom and Emanuel.

Scapegoat’s new record, Zombie Dog, aims for a cool concept -- zombies, brah -- but ultimately fails even harder for trying. The lesson to screamo bands: Never try. There’s really no way for Scapegoat to get all of their cards into play properly. The tunes that rely heavily on the clean/scream dynamic, like opening number “Zombies,” smack of genre cliché. Adding a breakdown about how the singer’s shotgun goes boom (Sample lyric: “Boom / Boom / Boom”) sounds funny on paper, but it’s excruciating on the ears. But when Scapegoat steers towards a more pop-metal style, like on “Criminal,” the songs collapse under the weight of their own cheese.

Ultimately, Scapegoat is a band meant for another time. If Zombie Dog came out in 1982 or 2002, I’m sure it would have garnered rave reviews from folks. But in 2008, there’s just no use for one more band of this caliber. If hair metal is shit and screamo is bile, then Scapegoat is the unholy abomination that exits your body the morning after a night of binge drinking.

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cryingember (July 6, 2008)

The points that the reviewer points out seem to be directed at what he considers to be screamo music, not specifically at scapegoat. The points that he cites that he feels make Scapegoat screamo are not only wrong, they are pretty lame as well.

He starts off by calling Scapegoat a "new band." This just bothers me. One glimpse at their myspace, or even the slightest research would tell you that they have been a part of the NC music scene for almost a decade. Throughout that decade their music has evolved to be both genre defining (some have called them melodicore) and damn listenable. Zombie dog is just another step in this evolution.

It is the fact that scapegoat melts screaming (Note: not screamo) with pop hooks (and on Zombie Dog, a little bit of electronica) that makes them so damn good. What the review refers to as Kit's "soaring metal falsetto schtick" ties the entire ensamble together.

Ironically, Scapegoat has an entire song on Zombie Dog just for the people, like the reviewer and those who have commented thus far, who seem to bash them "just because." And that is the crux of the entire review. You don't like Scapegoat because you dont like hair-metal and screamo; two genres that Scapegoat does not belong.

In the end, its your decision. Just come up with a better reason to hate them; at the very least give them a decent, non biased review; you can afford them that.

jeremyRVN (June 23, 2008)

the music pretty fucking terrible and the lyrics are pretty bad but at least they are pretty politically conscious

cheesetits (June 22, 2008)

Aww look at the cute doggie!

SloaneDaley (June 22, 2008)

who cares what bands are/were screamo? screamo sucks, period.

if you think Joshua Fit For Battle or Swing Kids suck I feel sorry for you, you must have lost your ears in a boating accident.

likebats (June 21, 2008)

I'm getting really sick of people referring to this sort of stuff as screamo. It just makes you look ignorant.

christianpittman (June 21, 2008)

when i saw this in the review column i was afraid somebody had something positive to say about it. i can't believe this band is still around churning out the same old crap after 3 or 4 records.

xIxKilledxJesusx (June 21, 2008)

death to false screamo

nocigar (June 21, 2008)

who cares what bands are/were screamo? screamo sucks, period.

PizzaClaus (June 20, 2008)

This has never and will never be screamo. Saetia was screamo, Joshua Fit For Battle was screamo, Orchid was screamo. This is not.

sceneupdates (June 20, 2008)

What a crap cover. No wonder this album sucks.