Album Review: Puscifer - 'Donkey Punch The Night'

Puscifer have never really taken themselves too seriously except when it comes to their music. Everything else about the band, from album names to promo shots and artwork, is taken with a certain element of humour, but when the needle drops on the record, the tongue n' cheek stops.

So in keeping with that, we have the group's latest EP, 'Donkey Punch The Night,' seven tracks, two of which are originals, two covers and three remixes. The opening track is a cover of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody', which sticks pretty close to the original version of the song save for Maynard James Keenan's slight vocal melody changes, however it comes across as form of extremely good karaoke due to the lack of musical changes.

The EP stand-outs are the originals, first 'Breathe', a return to what you would expect from Puscifer, dark, brooding tones with electronic beats and breathy vocals. The other original track, 'Dear Brother', is catchier and a bit more motivated, with a groove heavy beat and fuzzed out bass line, Keenan "Donkey punches the night away."

The second cover is of German metal band Accept's 'Balls To The Wall', in which Puscifer manage to keep some of the 80's tonal qualities of the original while mixing in their own shades as well. The quality of the remixes that close out the EP mirror the quality of the songs they are based on, the 'Breathe' and 'Dear Brother' remixes being better than the Accept cover, whilst also mirroring the vibe of the original, the 'Dear Brother' especially being more like a dance track.

It's a bit of a lazy release for Pusicifer considering there are only two new original songs on this "EP" which is priced the same as an LP. Regardless, Puscifer do, and always will do, whatever they want, and as per usual, it is worth your time.

1. Bohemian Rhapsody
2. Breathe
3. Dear Brother
4. Balls To The Wall
5. Breathe (Drumcell Rework)
6. Dear Brother (Denton Rework)
7. Balls To The Wall (Silent Servant El Guapo Mix)