Posted on: October 27, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Creating some major disturbances in their scene (Phoenix, Arizona), as well as making minor ripples on the national scene, Fall Guy came to my attention through a few rock remixes of Twiztid songs. Compared by some to Linkin Park meeting Eminem, I fail to see that characterization beyond the fact that Fall Guy meshes rap and metal music. The riffs that Driver and Joe Dank create are remnants of metal influences that go much beyond the relatively status quo ones made by acts like Linkin Park. In fact, listen closely and one will hear Master of Puppets-era Metallica, Keeper of the Seven Keys-era Helloween, as well as newer-era metal bands as Machine Head and Feat Factory. When we come to the vocal side of things in Fall Guy, we are confronted by an absolute mess of influences and vocal inflections that create the mystique that has driven Fall Guy to move over 5,000 copies of this EP alone.

Covering the gamut of oft-explored topics like sex, robbery, and fighting against established authority, Fall Guy still create an album that is immensely listenable without being played-out or trite in any way. Coming from the same mold that has been so successful for bands like the aforementioned Twiztid, Fall Guy provides more of an instrumental influence. Where Twiztid came from Detroit fresh out of House of Krazees and I.S.I., two major rap acts, members of Fall Guy paid their dues in hardcore and punk bands in different locals before coming together in the current sense. “Piglizard”, the final EP-specific track on the disc, provides a Rhymesayers-like sound by Intrinzik while the rest of Fall Guy jams on with a Corrosion of Conformity-style of breakdown.

While one might dismiss Fall Guy as yet another of the bands that sound alike on Clearchannel-radio, I would have to counter with their claim that the listener just isn’t listening hard enough. Sure, tracks like “Idol Time” and “Getchyoskimaskon” might conceivably be heard on radio, albeit in a Bowlderized form, the entire sound of Fall Guy is much too rich to dismiss as such pop vacuity. The recording is lush and free of major weaknesses, but the song selection seems a little skewed. I mean, there are two non-song tracks (Fintro and Harry) dividing up 8 full tracks. $10 may seem like a lot to pay for 8 songs, two of which were even on Trapped Inside, but this is Fall Guy’s first in what could conceivably be a series of amazing works. The rap/rock fusion was truly not achieved until Fall Guy found it as a 17 year old virgin (1986 being the RUN-DMC/Aerosmith collaboration), and fucked it into maturity.

Top Tracks: “Getchyoskimaskon” and “Piglizard”.

Rating: 7.8/10

Fallguy – Self-Titled EP / 2002 Intrinz Ink / 10 Tracks / http://www.fall-guy.com / [email protected] / Reviewed 10 August 2003 / Released 2003

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