Counter Cosby

We don't normally do reviews at this magazine. In fact, it's our policy not to review music. But this time I relent. We will review an album in order to save a hippie's ear.

We recently received the hostage letter you see above. And while we're not a magazine staff that is easity intimidated, we don't want anything bad to happen to an innocent hippie. So Counter Cosby, here is your precious review, just put down the meat cleaver.
Counter Cosby's album, Don't! Don;t! Don!t! is flat out incendiary. It's also completely fucked up. In a good way.

The disc's first tune is a song about getting pulled over by the cops while having Schedule I narcotics in the car. It starts off all heavy metal and then slows to lilting lounging melody while the band unharmoniously croons, "I'm gonna shove all this cocaine up my butt...."

It's hilarious.

The band doesn't really have a singer. The vocals pretty much consist of either crazy screaming and howling or the three guys all singing together completely out of tune.

But what these guys lack in vocal harmony they more than make up for in the musical capabilities and raw emotion. They're all excellent musicians and they make a tight band.

Drummer O'Neill's foot is speedy as a jackrabbit as he kicks out quick double hits on the bass drum and plays short, speedy fills. Meanwhile, guitarist Arotothen plays intricate, note-picking solos and bassist Langel switches between heavy melodic bass lines one minute and airy, jumping riffs the next.

These guys all have a broad range of styles they can play in, and they make it all sound effortless.

These guys are a little bit punk, a little bit metal, a little bit prog rock, and very, very goofy.

Counter Cosby have that rare quality of being both extremely talented and extremely funny. Much like Frank Zappa and Primus, these guys are excellent musicians who also have a great sense of humor. (Though I doubt the hippie would agree.)

The disc is filled with extended and complex instrumentals. There are odd time signatures, and even when the band does play in standard 4/4 time it is rarely obvious.

What else can we tell you: track 12 is a song about having an erection.
Beyond the complex heavy metal song structures, the band also play some catchy as hell funk and some kick you in the nuts thrash.
Beyond Primus and Zappa, you'll probably like this album if you also enjoy Ren and Stimpy cartoons, the movie Raising Arizona, and people falling down stairs.

Track 5 is basically a death threat to some poor bastard of a cash register jockey whom the band for some reason believes short-changed them 75 cents on purchase of a magazine.

"You say I didn't give you enough cash to rectify my change!!!! But I know in the back of my head that you are all wrong, so I will kill you! Ahhhhhhhh!!!!! You fruckin' jerkweed! You are a cheese wrinkle! And for that you must die!
"Give me my change before I go insane!!!!"

It's a short two and a half minute crescendo into mayhem. Utter mayhem I tell you. Good God, do you realize these guys are playing a show with Downtown Brown on June 9 at TCs Speakeasy? Lord help whoever is behind the bar that night. Whoever booked that show has some balls.

Oh, I can just imagine what that poor hippie is going through.

So please Counter Cosby, you've got your precious review. Let the hippie go. But first, give him a bath.

- THE RECORD Detroit's Music Journal june'07