Dog Faced Gods - 'Stoned Council'
Released through Voodoo Records in 2005
THE BAND:
Raymond Galvin Whiteowl - vocals
David 'Snakeyez' Torres - lead guitar
Fernando Gonzales - bass
Leonard Colvin II - drums
Paul Garcia - drums
TRACK FRAGMENTS::
1.) "Desperately" - This track opens with a small drum fill
before going into the main musical intro. The electric guitar arrangement
of the intro section was played by strumming the strings. Very similar to
what you would do if it had have been an acoustic guitar. This is
something you do not see very often in this style of music. underneath the
musical arrangement of the verse is a small keyboard arrangement that really
fills in a lot of the emptiness left by the guitar. Vocally Raymond vocal sound
as a very seventies rock feel to it. Underneath the chorus there is a
small lead guitar scale. The vocal lines of the chorus arrangement are
laced with sweet vocal hooks. After the second chorus is where the band
placed the guitar solo.
2.) "Good Life" -This track opens with a very cool bass line.
The song takes a very modern rock feel when the main musical intro kicks in.
The vocal lines of the verse have a very Zakk Wylde feel a lot like the stuff
Zakk done with Pride & Glory. The band bled the verse arrangement and the
chorus arrangement into one. The drum arrangement changes for the chorus
and this is what distinguishes the two musical patterns. For me the guitar
solo on this song was overshadowed by the bass line on this song. To make
the guitar solo a little more dramatic they should have changed the bass line
for the solo section.
3.) "Brings Me Down" - This modern metal ballad opens with bass and
drums. After the first pre-verse there is a small spoken vocal section.
This is where the band really kick the song in with a huge metal arrangement.
At times Raymond's vocal accents have a Greg Allman feel to them. At times
the song has as a very abstract metal feel to it so it only suits that the band
arrange the guitar solo to where it has that same abstract feel.
4.) "Earth Is Hell" -The intro to this song opens with a very heavily
distorted guitar arrangement. The arrangement of the vocal lines of the
verse are arranged in a very similar fashion to the way Kid Rock arranges his
rap/metal songs. In between the pre-verse and verse is a small lead guitar
scale that connects the two. Doing this really adds a lot to the song
arrangement and feel. Also on this small lead scale it must be noted that
out of just about all the younger bands I've heard the last few years this lead
scale is one of a handful that was very influenced from eighties lead
guitarists. The song has no actual guitar solo.
5.) "Run, Run" -This track opens with WWE wrestler Hulk Hogan. The
main musical intro section consists of a very simple intense guitar arrangement.
The band chose to add a vocal effect to Raymond's vocal lines. The main
guitar riffs of this song are arranged and performed in such away that it makes
this song a great song to perform live. The 'run, run' backing vocal
really added to this. During I think the third verse the main instrument
of the song becomes the bass. Which was a strange arrangement but at the
same time had a very cool effect to the song.
6.) "Intro -Intro to track seven "Water Pipe"
7.) "Water Pipe" -The vocal and bass line arrangement of this
track gives the song a very Primus feel. If one did not know any better
they would swear Less Claypool helped the band write this song. After the
second chorus of the song the band change the musical arrangement of the song to
a more standard metal feel. The bass line during this arrangement change
is just pure intense.
8.) " But Me" -The opening and closing of the hi-hat on this intro
section really accented the lead guitar scale of the intro on this track.
The vocal line and musical arrangement of the verse have a very modern metal
feel. /underneath the vocal lines of the verse is a very strange musical
effect. It's really hard to tell what the band used to capture this
effect. The chorus has a very laid back feel with a modern rock feel.
After the first chorus there is a small lead guitar rhythm. The backing
vocals on this track makes the song a great song that would sound good live.
9.) "Time Is Standing Still" - The intro to this track has a very
System Of A Down feel to the lead guitar rhythm. After the ballad style
intro section the band really kick the song in for the verse section.
Though the song keeps it's ballad feel to it, it is a lot more intense than the
way most ballads are arranged. the main guitar riffs of the verse where
arranged in a very simple fashion just using two or three chords. You find
yourself being very mesmerized by the vocal line arrangement of the chorus
section. Underneath the vocal line of the choruses there is a very simple
lead guitar scale.
10.) "Save Me" - The intro to this track opens with a lead guitar
rhythm. The band breaks the verse arrangement down to a very laid back
feel. In the fashion Raymond sings the vocal lines really help this sound.
Through out the track there are these little underlined almost whispered vocal
effects. The main guitar riffs of this song are just dripping with
power!!! There is no guitar solo for the song but with that being said I
must also state the fact that because the rhythm guitar riffs have such a heavy
feel that the song really does not need a guitar solo.
11.) "Will I Ever Fit In" - The intro to this track has a mean rhythm
guitar riff to it. the band really pull back for the verse letting the
vocals, bass, and drums take the lead. The vocal lines of the verses have
a small echo attached to them. I loved the hook of the chorus
arrangement!!! This song has a very simple feel to it, with a really huge
sound.
12.) "Stand Alone" - This ballad opens with a very simple musical
arrangement. The vocal lines of the verse have a very small hook attached
to them. The verses have a very laid back feel. The band breaks the
song down to a more ballad style for the chorus arrangement. The guitar
solo suited this song perfectly. This is just a very simply but cool song.
13.) "Simple Man" - Cover of the Lynard Skynard classic.
14.) "No One Left" -This track opens with an acoustic guitar
arrangement. There is a small flute type musical arrangement that fills in
a lot of the emptiness of the acoustic. Arrangement wise this is really
the only song on the release that you could consider being called a ballad.
15.) "Stand Alone" (rap version)
This enhanced CD not only consists of the fifteen musical
tracks but also contains a 20 minute movie by the band. Musically nothing
should surprise me anymore, but I was really taken aback by this release.
I completely was not expecting to hear what I heard. Just on looks alone I
expected more of a heavy modern metal sound. Which in several ways most of
the guitar riffs are of this vein. But Raymond's vocal lines give the
songs a very melodic feel. Not being a huge Lynard Skynard fan to begin
with I felt the cover version of "Simple Man" the band done blew the original
version away. I would smoke my peace pipe with these guys any day!!!!