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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Music Reviews »

Permalink The Cannibal Mosquitos - Cannibal Mosquitos Surprise Attack!

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Brian asked me to listen to this album recently submitted to the site for review (thanks Brian!). I've given it a couple spins, and I've formed a couple opinions, and here we are. I guess I should give an official disclaimer here that my opinions don’t represent those of SG101 or of Brian. If you disagree with me, be nice to Brian. Brian’s cool Razz

Based on my superficial digging around online, “Cannibal Mosquitos Surprise Attack” is the first (almost) full-length album (nine songs, including a short intro track) from France’s trio surf band Cannibal Mosquitos. This album isn’t quite brand new – it was released last year, but this is the first time I’d heard anything from or about these guys. Apparently they’ve got more material and releases in the works, so my impression is that these guys are relatively fresh faces in the scene – entomo-humanoid faces, it appears.

On that note, my first impression of this band: killer look! With matching orange jumpsuits and home-made mosquito masks (are those cat litter scoopers on their mouths?) these guys look like they’re ready to put on a wild act. It looks part prison break, part sci-fi future dystopia, and got me pretty excited when I first check out the artwork for this album. I imagine it’s gotta help make for a fun live show as well.
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So judging this band by their cover, they get high marks – a strategic starting point to start listening to an album in a good mood. Sadly, I have to say the rest of the experience of being Surprise Attacked is mostly a disappointment. This is best (or worst) exemplified by the very first track, “Cannibal Mosquitos.” It’s a forty-second intro, plodding I-IV-V riff rocker, riding on crash cymbals with a riff of no more than two notes and annoying megaphone feedback in the turnaround. Pretty aggravating and pretty inadequate; a song like this is not sustainable for more than forty seconds, so it’s a good thing it ends so quickly. My hope was that the band recognized this fact too, and that later real songs would be better developed, but unfortunately things don’t get significantly better from there, though they do get a little better.

The next song, “Lost Mojo” picks up the pace a bit, throws in some whammy dips and a bit more melodic range with an ascending line that’s maybe a bit spy-inspired. Nothing that grabs too much attention, though I do like the bridge and break in the middle of the song which brings down the dynamics with a couple cool and kinda mysterious riffs.

The rest of this album is largely more-of-same: slow-picked riff rockers that lead to nowhere, except maybe a bridge that’s just another I-IV-V progression. “Surprise Attack of the Mosquitos” should be two minutes instead of four, the intro/outro soundbites on “Il Trajedie Dell Autostrada” and “Rotten Chicken Run” are too long (a mistake that’s befallen other bands plenty of times, even those who used them best like MoAM), and “Wave of Death” is, again, only two notes Face Palm

There’s a lot of consistency among these and the remaining songs. Overall the performances are really lively – hard hits on the drums, crashing cymbals, and dirty, garage-y guitar tones that are at times appropriately mean and other times just murky. I suspect these guys would be a lot of fun to see live when you’re drunk at a small packed club or a house party, great for just a sloppy, fun, lively time.

But that approach doesn’t translate well to a recording here, there’s simply not enough substance. One particular peeve: these guys are a trio, which isn’t in and of itself a bad thing, but at least half the time on each of these songs the guitar and bass are playing the exact same thing, or if not the bass is simply playing root notes. And without a rhythm guitar that means there’s simply no counterpoint to grab onto. To my ears, that's inadequate. C'mon guys, you can do better!

If there’s one song that successfully avoids the pitfalls of the others it’s “The Very Bad and The Very Good Mosquitos,” which is easily my favorite of the bunch. It’s more melodic, more dynamic, and more swinging than the rest. Pretty fun. I’d even go so far as to say that I like this song. Kudos to the Cannibal Mosquitos. I think it shows that they’ve got potential. There are a lot of rough edges to smooth, but hopefully their future stuff will become a bit more developed.

Hey Ben,

Great job writing a well balanced and reasoned review.

Too often, people seem to take the approach not to say anything if their basic take-away is negative.

It's important to have a full spectrum of reviews here to provide perspective and legitimacy for the positive ones.

Of course, this also requires that the artists take it in the intended constructive spirit.

We're going to release our new CD in Q1 and my preference would be to read what people really have to say, good or bad, than read nothing.

Thanks for being brave!

Paul

Yep, yep. Very nicely done, Ben. This site can always use more / never have enough talk about the music. Even better if it incorporates well thought out, constructive discussion that finds the delicate balance between candor and camaraderie - which isn't easy to do by the way. You've set a great example.

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Fady

El Mirage @ ReverbNation

Thanks guys!

Yeah I agree with you that I prefer to read the "honest reviews" approach that got proposed here some time back. I think most of the reviews here on the site are mostly just cheerleading, which isn't really that helpful but I know it can be hard to avoid since we're basically just reviewing each others' work and we're all friends here and don't want to hurt any feelings.

I'm definitely not trying to be mean to the Cannibal Mosquitos, in fact they should feel totally free not to care about anything I say. I know I've been irked by less-than-raving comments made about my own music, but you get over it pretty quick. If the Mosquitos are having fun making the music they are and having fun playing it to crowds at home then they should keep it up, and my comments should be meaningless. Or, if maybe they've been wondering how to hone their sound as a new band, hopefully they might find my comments useful.

I hope more reviews get put out there that are a bit more critical and less simply a pat on the back, though I'm sure there are plenty of us here who actually like every surf song they hear. I was once like that, but I've grown jaded Razz Either way I think honest reviews make for more interesting discussion... and it's already happening! Sweet!

Last edited: Dec 02, 2012 10:39:26

Some audio samples would be cool. As well written as your review is it's a bit lacking without a listen imho.

Kind of like a picture with the face blotted out.

METEOR IV on reverbnation

I really don't understand what motivates a band to send a CD such as this for review? It's obvious that they don't care about the 'music', it's just a means to an end, that being having a good time. Nothing wrong with that, but why ask for a review? I ask you.

Danny Snyder

Latest project - Now That's What I Call SURF
_
"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

I'm back playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

I don't have any soundbites to offer from the album itself, but here are some live examples.

Wave of Death

Kickbox Girl

The Very Bad and The Very Good Mosquitos

I like em, love the energy.

The last vid was the best imo.

I think a 2nd guitar or organ / synth might help out though?

METEOR IV on reverbnation

DannySnyder wrote:

I really don't understand what motivates a band to send a CD such as this for review? It's obvious that they don't care about the 'music', it's just a means to an end, that being having a good time. Nothing wrong with that, but why ask for a review? I ask you.

I don't think he's dumping on them THAT much, but I've also heard the album so maybe I'm reading this in a more upbeat tone. I agree with the review for the most part. It's not smart music, nobody's going to cover these, but they've got a good energy. I'd see them if they came here, and I'd even be excited about it. We're on a forum for a genre where many of the pioneering artists were teenagers chiefly concerned with meeting girls and getting loaded, it doesn't really bother me.

I'd give it maybe a 6/10 myself. It amounts to just another lo-fi surf band, but if I'm in the mood to listen to some noisy surf punk I wouldn't turn it off.

Storm Surge of Reverb: Surf & Instro Radio

Last edited: Dec 05, 2012 21:01:48

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