Exile on Mainstream Records
Trying desperately to be different, the dynamic Dutch duo known as Dÿse (say “DOO-zee”) have some most unusual cover art: a dead baby mouse supported by an exotic flower and lying in a bowl of milk. Their eponymous debut, however, is less singular but still captivating. Featuring members of Volt and Rodeo Queen, Dÿse excel at being simultaneously cyclical and off-center.
The immediate vocals of guitarist Andre Dietrich in the opening track “Underlaydisk” recall the same from Mike Patton in Mr. Bungle: a generous mix of unhinged screams, gurgling spoken word, and whimsical mouth noises. “Zwarte Pieten” features drummer Jari Rebelein mimicking the crisp snare snap of Helmet, while Dietrich’s repetitively strummed chords allow room for tempo switches, a choir break, and a spooky, Type O Negative organ near the end.
There are no less than three cuts that sound chillingly like former Metal Blade outfit, Arizona’s Beats the Hell Out of Me. “Monstermann” mixes Dietrich’s caterwauls with angular, Beats the Hell Out of Me-styled chords, yet “Rhythmus” manages to get that BTHOOM guitar tone exactly right. “Der Mann Aus Gold” sounds like BTHOOM loosely interpreting Sepultura’s “We Who Are Not as Others.”
“Doccode” starts off with a The Planet The-like asynchronous beat, adding a human beatbox and Masters of Reality-inspired vocal harmonies. That beatbox is expanded in “Wokkk” in a neck-snapping, Prong attack with a less frenetic interlude with German news samples. “Wolke” is a lengthy foray into the band’s organized chaos of chordal reiteration and metronomic drumming, with a Creedle-like intermission of lazy trumpets. Dÿse’s upshot is a heavy, intelligent album honed for fans of the aforementioned groups and anyone who appreciates adventurous metal.
