If I may pull back the curtain a bit here… I had never heard of The Callous Daoboys before writing for The Nu Metal Agenda. I figured out quickly they were a band to watch, and in the build-up to this album, I learned just how unique these folks were in the metal scene. These days, being post-genre and blurring the lines is the way to be, it would seem, with bands like Poppy and Sleep Token raking in legions of fans and loads of live gate dollars.
Then came the Bandcamp listening party for I Don’t Want To See You in Heaven. Several of us from the Agenda were in attendance, and it was one of the most fun nights I’ve had in my journalism career. It was in that moment that I got it, that I understood the hype behind TCD. There were moments of “what the fuck am I listening to here?” that were immediately followed by “whoa, what is happening?” but with a dumbfounded smile plastered on my face the whole time, I was along for the ride.
And for what it’s worth, “Benadryl dick never puts a ring on it” might be one of my favorite lyrics of all time. But we’ll get to that.
After an intro monologue that positions the forthcoming album as a radio play of sorts, “Schizophrenia Legacy” lives up to its name with a chaotic sound. It’s emo, post-hardcore, and metalcore put into a blender and left to its own devices for a five-minute stint in Hell’s Kitchen. Then the band realized “oh shit, we forgot the saxophone solo!” and stuffs that in the feed hole before turning it back on.
It sounds like the plot’s been lost, but one thing that must be known about TCD’s music is this mantra: let them cook. I don’t know that there’s a proper elevator pitch for their work, a quick rundown of “get it, got it, good” that does it justice. If there’s one song to be used as such from this LP, it would probably be “Two-Headed Trout,” as it may be the most controlled of the chaos on display. Vocalist Carson Pace can sing with the best of them, but his frantic screams are a snapshot of the wildest of chaotic post-hardcore, and it genuinely feels like he’s throwing everything into it. The scream with the aforementioned “Benadryl dick” line feels like he’s pulling it from his fucking toes, and if that’s not a good selling point, I’m not sure what is.
All this to say that this may be a divisive album. I don’t know that anyone is going to sit on the fence for this album or any of The Callous Daoboys’ music. They feel like a band that, much like the other post-genre darlings I mentioned earlier, people will either love or hate. This will not be to everyone’s liking, but it feels like this is an album for the real sickos. Those who do take this on, whether or not they know what they’re getting into, are in for one hell of a ride, and when the brakes are put on at the end, their perception of music may not be the same again, for better or worse.
Given their recent rise, The Callous Daoboys may be on their way to proper big things. As such, getting in on the ground floor and giving IDWTSYIH a spin may be the best thing. At worst, you decide it isn’t for you. At best, you find a band that you will follow to the ends of the earth, celebrating the fact that you’ve done so while lamenting that it took you this long to do so.
I Don’t Want To See You in Heaven is available now via MNRK Heavy.
