Big Fat Box of Shit

Crotchduster: Fornicus "Fuckmouth" McFlappy (vocals, guitar); Slippery Jim (vocals); Cain (drums).
Additional personnel: James Murphy , Richard Christy, Jordan Suecof, Tony Espinoza, Alex "Uncle Teddy" Yeatts (vocals).
Ensemble: Big Fish.
Crotchduster isn't a new vacuum, but a hilariously crass and highly entertaining joke-band side project from the members of the death metal outfit Capharnaum. It's probably best to poke fun at metal from within, and "Slippery Jim" and "Fornicus 'Fuckmouth' McFlappy" (along with "Cain," who's billed as a drummer but seems to be a dog) do so with relish. Big Fat Box of Shit periodically explodes into furious, triple-time death metal, and also finds time to skewer Korn ("Cain Sings the Blues"), histrionic hair metal vocals, and Glenn Danzig. They're obsessed with swearing, the dirtiest of dirty sex, and trash of both the musical and cultural type, in case the names or song titles ("Crotchopus") didn't tip you off. There's no question about it -- Big Fat Box of Shit will be a big fat insult to the uptight. But fans of jokesters like Bloodhound Gang will love this stuff, as will anyone who heard Let's Get Serious, Party Fun Action Committee's Def Jux debut that dissected hip-hop clichés with similar skill. When they're not busy eviscerating metal in all its forms, Crotchduster lays into entertainment news, rap, synth pop, rednecks, and their own fans via a priceless stretch of "hate mail" readings. Sometimes everything happens at once, like in the chaotic seven-minute-plus "Mammal Sauce," which begins as a power ballad, downshifts into grandiose European black metal, switches to an Iron Maiden-worthy gallop, rhymes "wang" with "Tang," and bottoms out in an extended section featuring vocodered vocals. Other times the joke is impenetrable yet still funny. Various references to someone named "Bill Williams" run throughout Big Fat Box of Shit. It's never made very clear who he is or why Slippery Jim hates him; however, he's at the center of approximately 120 pure genius putdowns. Big Fat Box of Shit isn't a once-a-day album. It's not even a once-a-year album. But Crotchduster is the best kind of joke band, because it provides plenty of laughs while being varied enough musically to hold your attention. Blisteringly fast and for adults only, Crotchduster is like channel surfing on late-night cable. [Metal drummer and Howard Stern personality Richard Christy makes a cameo on "Stars Ingenious Cooter."] ~ Johnny Loftus