Tuxedo

Artist: 
Album Title: 
Flowerfield Melodies
Release Date: 
Friday, October 25, 2013
Distribution: 
Review Type: 

Hah...now there's a novel thing: a band describing themselves as “Austrian Alpencore”. As to what that entails, I will tell you later...first we do the history bit, okay?

Currently based in Mattighofen, tuXedo was founded in 2005 as a trio playing an Alternative/ Crossover mix of music. 2008 was an important year for the outfit, as they not only released their debut EP Schizophrenia, but also reinvigorated the line-up with the recruitment of a new drummer, but also started using more Metal elements in their music. Next important year was 2010, when the band released its sophomore EP Fight (which got real nice reviews) and added a second guitarist to the line-up. After that, the band re-invented itself refining their current Austrian Metalcore style, and corresponding image. Meanwhile, the line-up also expanded, and at current moment comprises singers Christoph Kiebe and Johannes Frauenhuber (the first taking care of the occasional samples, the second of additional percussion), guitarists Jakob Schreinmoser and Michael Tiefenthaler (the latter adding to the band's vocal madness – see later), bassist Reinhard Seifriedsberger, and drummer Christoper Till.

Over the years, the band managed to play more than 130 gigs, playing not only in Austria and Germany, but also in Croatia, Slovenia and Slovakia...which got the band onto the stages of important festivals such as Nova Rock Festival, Metalfest Austria, Walpurgis Metal Days, Metal Invasion, and more...and as supports of the likes of Unearth, Evergreen Terrace, Sepultura, J.B.O., Emil Bulls, The Sorrow, Knorkator, Excrematory, Grindfuckers, Debauchery, Caliban, Pro-Pain, and many more. Of course, in the last couple of years they've preformed with their unique “Alpencore” shows! And as far as thàt's concerned, some words of elucidation, perhaps eh? You see, beyond a Polka intro, and some spare sounds of outdoors alpine occupation (some cows walking about – clinging their bells in the process – and making their typical sounds), you should not expect too much “alpine” sound colourings, you know (exceptions touched on later)! But the dudes dó perform in the typical alpine “dress”...you know, Knickerbocker pants, matching shirts and jackets, and matching hats too).

Musically, the band's current style (already witnessed on live shows, remember) has been compared to the likes of Heaven Shall Burn, Seputura, Slipknot and Ill Niño, and frankly, that's no surprise, because besides bringing some truly nice layered Thrash Metal-infused Metalcore with lavish percussion, the three singers make for a double vocal layer (occasionally extended to 3 layers) on top of it all. In all honesty, it's that vocal lunacy and layered-ness which sets this band aside from its peers, the lead vocals often accompanied by great “gang”-shouted shouts (or a mixture of shouts/ screams where the occasion demands such). Now, the album in essence consists of two parts, or at least that's how I feel about it, the first part consisting of the first run of 8 tuXedo originals (I'm not quite sure, but they may – at least partly – consist of the band's older songs, occasionally re-arranged to “conform” to the band's current standards). The second part now, is where the band starts off by playing covers of Jimi Jamison's “I'm Always Here” (Jamison being of Survivor fame, and having co-written and sung the song which was used as the main theme song for popular TV show Baywatch's second and longest run – the original season was ended due to low viewer cyphers, then re-started in 1991) and Sepultura's “Deambula”. The three remaining tracks (yes, 3...because there's a funny hidden track too!) consist of “Self-Absorbed Folk” (which is very much in the band's usual style), “Dying Sheep” (an instrumental with only percussion, drums, electronics, and samples), and “Self-Polka”...which finds the band members playing some different kinds of instruments (you know, horn section and drums) for an all-round booze-funded (the dudes are sponsored by Jägermeister) splash, in which the vocalists make for a somewhat German-flavoured “South Park” vocalism...just listen to it, and you'll get the pun/ fun!.

And as far as thàt is concerned, the band posted the complete album for your listening pleasure at their own (www.) tuxedo.at, alongside a video for actual album opening track “Anger”. If you're into inventive music, I suggest you at least check this out! I guarantee that, if what you read up to here, you'll not be disappointed by what you're gonna hear/ see! I would've given the album a perfect rating (and subsequent nomination for my “Best Of 2013 Albums”-lists), but I reserve that for when the band brings an all-originals album! I don't mind telling you however, that this album caused me some delay in my usual review writing process, as I preferred to hang onto it for some additional listening sessions before having to part with it!

95/100