Customer Reviews

Don Caballero 2

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

How to describe Don Caballero's sound? There isn't much like it to provide a frame of reference, so it's not easy. Well, here goes: throw the sounds of Helmet, Mogwai, Slint, Drive Like Jehu, Sonic Youth, The Mars Volta, and Shellac into a blender, remove all vocals, add a mad genius of a drummer who sounds sort of like Elvin Jones (of John Coltrane fame) on methamphetamines, and you'll get a fair idea. With 2, the virtuosos of Don Cab created a monster of an album, one that bends minds as easily as it bends genres with its highly distinctive blend of fusion, metal, and prog. The compositions ("songs" doesn't quite feel like the right word, thanks) here veer between extended, multi-faceted epics that straddle the ten-minute mark and shorter, sharper pieces, but no matter the track length 2 showcases some dazzlingly complex structures that never fail to make heads spin with their consistent unpredictability.

Now, before I go any further, I should stress that whatever else it may be, 2 is not an exercise in gratuitious technical wankery a la the more grandiose moments in Dream Theather's catalogue. And despite the band's all-instrumental approach, this in no way falls into the post-rock category that's become so fashionable of late; the sheer intensity of this recording would be more than sufficient to blast the likes of Explosions in the Sky into submission (not to say EITS aren't a good band; they very much are). At all points, 2 is a focused, aggressive, and measured display of technical wizardry that's at least as much about creativity as virtuosity. If your brain isn't engaged while listening to this stuff, you might've hit the "off" button on it by mistake.

Of course, given their prodigious chops, the guys in Don Cab could be forgiven if they decided to show off a little. I've listened to tons of music from various genres, and these guys can easily hang with any band I've ever heard when it comes to musical skeelz. Drummer Damon Che gets a great deal of the attention when Don Cab is discussed, and rightfully so: he sounds like two drummers most of the time, with a jazzy, impossibly fluid style that keeps the proceedings interesting even during the rare calmer moments. With Che going wild on his kit, the task of supplying the groove falls largely to bassist Matt Jencik, but he's more than up to it, his crackling basslines expertly poking through the tiny spaces left in the mix by the insanity going on around him. Then there's the guitar duo of Ian Williams and Mike Banfield, who are, simply put, amazing. The intricate, interlocking patterns these guys create are like no other, more than justifying the "math rock" label that's so liberally applied to the band's work.

While there aren't really any leads per se on 2, they would probably end up feeling gratuitous anyway, as every band member practically seems to be soloing at once anyway. As such, it can take a while to decipher the reams of complexity present on this album, but it's definitely worth the effort. Opener Stupid Puma starts the album off with a barrage of screeches and skronks from Williams and Banfield and some caffeinated drumbeats from Che, nicely prepping the listener for what's coming next. P,P,P, antless is pure insanity, with Che relentlessly assaulting his kit behind the pounding metallic riffage of the guitars. Repeat Defender could best be labeled as futuristic space rock from hell, featuring an interplay among the four musicians that could only be described as telepathic. Imbued early on with a righteous, swinging rhythm, Dick Suffers Is Furious With You briefly flirts with catchiness before descending into the sort of shrieking math that's more prevalent on the album. Shifting tempos, moods, and pretty much everything else every ten seconds or so, Rollerblade Success Story boasts the kind of rampaging time-signature manipulation that should have fans of Meshuggah and the Dillinger Escape Plan drooling. The band shows a pretty nifty aptitude for dynamics as well: just check out the way they adulterate their assaultive sensory overload with some pleasantly melodic moments in please tokio, please THIS IS TOKIO and extended passages of droning repetition in No One Gives A Hoot About FAUX-ASS Nonsense.

For the serious music fan, 2 is one of those albums that can easily become an obsession, eliciting listen after listen in an effort to unravel its myriad intricacies and eccentricities. That, ultimately, is the main source of this album's appeal: it sounds great at first, but each revisiting brings to light some new detail and putting it all together becomes a mission in and of itself. If you've got a high-tech stereo and some good headphones, 2 can help you kill many unproductive hours. It certainly works for blasting out lingering memories of the bland crap that dominates the radio.

I am a huge fan of unorthodox music, expecially the music that is so tight and precise that it blows your mind. All I have to say about this album (and really this band in general) is JESUS CHRIST!!! Never have I heard such precision, even though and first listen it is total noise. Listen more, you will unlock so much s*** it is ridiculous. AMAZING ALBUM, easily in my top 5 all time.

3 1/2

The fearless instrumental group of experimental math-rockers blazed a small but distinct trail across this subgenre, layering drumkit assaults after angular riffs in a more intimidating way then most of their peers could ever imagine. Even early on, when the group often felt more controlled experiment then experimental control, a rhythmic complexity, anchored by an amazing, ever-questing drummer, never eludes the at-times fascinating interplay. The last few tracks helped rein in these overwhelmingly spastic hardcore jam sessions with a little more melodic development, hinting at further greatness to come.

I love this album. As the person from Seattle said, it is technically amazing. They pretty much blow everyone else out of the water when it comes to playing in odd time signatures. If I surmise correctly, they tune down to A on some #'s(that's pretty deep). That in itself gives the album another interesting texture also. If your looking to hear something different for a change, this album is it. The songs on this album are like classical fugues on amphetamines. It's all over the place, but done with intelligence and precision.

Simply put, there is not, nor will there ever be, anything quite like this band.

What amazes me most is, at the level these musicians seem to be, both individually and collectively, how they don't waste a note wanking their egos on this entire album.

For this type of music (which is pretty scant), I'm torn between this one, Don Cab's What Burns Never Returns, and Battles' B EP. This one is the most raw and primal of the three, which gives it a little edge.

Watch for Don Caballero's (reunion) album, World Class Listening Problem, on May 16.

This is a cool CD. It mixes themes and techniques from lots of bands like Voivod's Nothingface, King Crimson's Red and Drive Like Jehu. Damon Che sounds like Billy Cobham in Inner Mounting Flame/Birds of Fire era Mahavishnu Orchestra, though a little more spastic. Good CD to put on when you need that extra energy to clean the house or repair your spaceship.

Don Caballero is technically amazing (especially the drummer). They pull out all the stops, leaving you scratching your head saying, "What the f*** was that!" This is Instrumental mayhem in odd time signatures. Total aural bombardment.

I confesss, I didn't know how to take the song structures at first. The guitars meander and stray sometimes from what most would consider melodious. Things get confused, tempetuous, but then drummer Damien Che manages to solve the equation. At this point the head nodding (or scratching) begins. Some songs are just plain heavy "instrumetal" and you may just feel like banging your head instead. I recommend this for anyone that's into "math rock", indie, or metal.
When comfortable with "II", move on to my favorite, "What Burns Never Returns". The first track on "WBNR" begins with the exact same drum beat that Don Caballero II closes with. It would have been like an epiphany to you when you first discovered this, but I couldn't resist spoiling it for you...

Nothing quite prepared for me the brutal assault of this post-progressive music. I thought I was prepared though - I still listen to Egg and Henry Cow for crying out loud. At any rate, although brutal, this was also an exhilarating and rewarding listening experience. Indeed, Don Caballero 2 (1995) is certainly one of the most creative rock albums I have heard in over 25 years and acknowledges the heaviest 1970s progressive rock while remaining firmly planted in modern times. This stuff is, well, mind blowing.

The lineup of this Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania based outfit is centered on bandleader and drummer Damon Che Fitzgerald, along with Ian Williams (electric guitar), Matt Jencik (electric bass guitar), and Mike Banfield (electric guitars). The ensemble playing is superb and revolves around Damon's explosive and virtuosic drumming, which deftly weaves in and out of time signatures seemingly at random. The guitarists emphasize the use of a heavily distorted tone played at a crushing volume throughout, yet back off a tiny bit here and there - for this "old" guy, my ears appreciated the brief rest. In addition to the core of bass/drums/guitar, ear-splitting feedback sustained for several minutes and found sounds are employed, including a recording of a circular saw blade getting pinched as it cuts through a piece of wood.

The nine instrumental tracks range in length from 3:43 to 11:18 and are arranged into four suites ("I" - "IIII"). Total running time equals 59:01. Overall, this music blends aspects of American avant-garde, industrial, King Crimson (1974 and 1981), minimalism, and hardcore heavy metal (or whatever it is called nowadays - metalcore?). Meter shifts occur at the tip of a hat and are frequent - just about every odd time signature under the sun is used. Based around Damon's drumming, the pieces consist of a series of ostinati (repeated patterns) played in unison on the guitars and bass - overlapping ostinato networks are not used. Come to think of it, their emphasis on repeated patterns is adapted from minimalism (not to mention 1981 era King Crimson), which is very interesting in of itself - with few exceptions, progressive rock bands avoided minimalism. Some of the repeated patterns can get fairly hypnotic. There are no melodies to speak of and very odd sounding root movements and dissonant tones are used - while at times unpleasant to my ears, I can appreciate what they are doing.

This Touch and Go release is pretty skimpy, but features great sound quality. The liner notes simply list the track titles.

From the cover photographs of industrial stacks discharging visible plumes to the crushing volume of the music, this made for an overwhelming, albeit rewarding listening experience. Don Caballero 2 is lauded by many as the finest by the group and indeed, the entire genre and is recommended to those folks that enjoy music at the harsher end of the post-progressive rock spectrum. All in all, I am very excited that groups are still willing to take challenges and push the musical envelope in "progressive" ways.

Though it's not that plain and simple at all, is it? Don Cab is one of those bands that has really blown my mind and opened me up musically. Every track is a standout, but I particularly enjoy "No One Gives a Hoot..."
Besides their unorthodox song structures and incredible percussion (which are bound to keep your on your toes), its their technical mastery that really impresses. These guys are paragons of their instruments. Damon Che never ceases to amaze. Damon's pounding, pulsating, precise drumming really holds the compositions together.