Mosquito Death Squadron - Knock On Wood

Hear The Track Here

Slap me in a dress and call me Sally but I do like Mosquito Death Squadron. Even after I have murdered thousands upon thousands (Ah hates mozzies!) of their compatriots, I still find the music they make quite remarkable to hear. Must be something to do with having endless pairs of legs I suppose. The band describe themselves as 'a runaway train of genre-bending mayhem' and I think I would be inclined to agree with them. Not something you would want to be putting yourself in front of if you have a mild disposition, or are a little nervous about loud noises - or even if you like music to be straightforward. The one thing I have never been able to say about MSD is that they are in any shape or form straightforward.

Bent as a 10 cent watch is the straight truth.

That has a lot to do with the members of the band, who also double as freak shows in their own right. I speak of course of Mandible and Pilesar (reviewer shudders). I really liked Baby Teeth Live (March 2006) moreso because it showed live musicians thrashing the crap out of their instruments, all caught in a nice live environment. It was that treatment that made it work for me, because it showed the musicians in the best possible light - making the performance work the trick. Knock On Wood sounds as if it were done the same way, and again it shows a great of tight musicians just blowing away without much of a thought about what others may think. For me, it is also the thing that makes this track work for me.

There's no doubt in my mind that over the last couple of tracks Mosquito Death Squadron have shown that they are a group of exceedingly competent and adventurous musicians. Although they have Knock On Wood down as Jazz fusion, and it does have a nice jazz slant in arrangement, the main feeling I got from the track was rock. That may have to do with the lineup (bass, drums, guitars) and the intricate, tight-as-a-ducks-ass licks the band spill out in all directions. To see this live must be awesome, because to hear it on MP3 is exciting enough to make me poop me pants. Despite it being a demo, this track is virtuso stuff and because of that it gets one of my highest ratings, although I will stress that not everyone will 'get' this but I do. Here is a track where the most potent element is the obvious fun the musicians are having playing this intricate, finely detailed music. Excellent track, troops.

Highly Recommended (or a must listen anyway, especially if you like class playing)