Dr Octopus - This Time We Fight (Album)
On first receiving this album I was really excited, woke up bright and early for it, but to my dismay it was not what I had in mind for Dr Octopus, thinking DR Octagon was gunna pop out and make all my dreams come true. This album is deceiving, not only using a similar name to the American Hip Hop genius side project, then also by mixing the awesome genre of ska with some vocals that lean the wrong way (if you know what I mean). It sounds a lot like if Pink, Me First and the gimme gimmes and Underoath went out and did lunch this one time. I’m sure it is a lot of peoples idea of the ultimate band, but not mine.
Dr Octopus are a Queensland ska band, with more spansors than member in their band, which is saying something for a ska band. Doc Oc released this CD through Sony BMG. I’m sure this album will grow on me, as being listening to more Sublime lately it really uses similar chord structures and melodic happiness in its songs. But with one difference, Sublime goes for minimalism and lets its lyrics do the talking, this band relies more heavily on the skills of the individual members of the band and their ability to solo the hell out of a song.
With an attractive CD cover and an attractive lead singer, some of the other aspects of the band let them down, such as the use of genres that particularly never meant to be inter-joined, the world is too small for two Gwen Stefani’s, one is too many already. While also trying to keep up with current mu7sical fads in Australia, the token screamo is thrown in the mix just to ensure that the scene will be more accepting to their type of music and try to crossover into the mainstream realm of pop-ska.
I definitely enjoy the trumpet sections of this CD as they really lean towards the ska, keeping it simpler, with less production needed , and showing their roots a bit more than the singing or screaming. The title track, 'This Time We Fight' is really no different to any other song on the CD, I think they chose that song for the title, is it’s a cool name for a CD. And there is more male singing in this one, while also leaning towards more of the Goth female vocal techniques, as well as some more synth, its really everything in one song. Dear god, stick to one genre and do it well, blending never works, and the quicker they realise this the better.
