Hog Meets Frog – humANIMALization
Release Date: 24th February 2023
Label: Echotunes
Bandcamp
Genre: Funk Metal, Progressive Metal, Experimental Rock, World Music, Squeaquackmusic.
FFO: Primus, Tool, System of a Down, Mr Bungle, Gwar, Frank Zappa.
Review By: Joe McKenna
Somewhere deep within the murky boglands, lying within mysteriously inside the animalistic nature of absurdity, is Austrian wild cards Hog Meets Frog, heavy music’s answer to poking fun at human depravity and degeneracy through a humorous and tongue-in-cheek manner. A bizarre and dynamic power trio, Hog Meets Frog sound is rather unusual to pinpoint, perhaps take the ludicrous absurdity of Primus, the ostentatious visual aesthetics of Gwar, and the technical formulations of Tool, and you’re pretty close. But for the most part, the band are quite comfortable going by the label of ‘SQUEAQUACKmusic!!’ is probably the best description if any. The Vienna devised trio often produce songs that often have a metaphorical implication that sheds light on particular social and systematic issues with an amusing twist that make us appreciate the true importance of friendship, good morals, and above all else fun. humANIMALization is Hog Meets Frog’s third EP that showcases their off the cuff eccentricities through a non-conceptual concept album that tells many quirky stories of several animals including a bigot monkey, an insecure piggy, a peeping control bear, and a greedy stock market bull. Through these conceptual tracks that feature a variety of funky, upbeat, fuzzy, and progressive elements, I’ll detail each of them as they are presented.
Of Snakes ‘n’ Moles ‘n’ Bulls ‘n’ Dough opens with some groovy Claypool- worship with a funky slap bassline and sweet rhythmic dynamism, the stoner doom guitars reek of overdrive to add to the weirdness whilst adding in some nice technicality in periods. The vocals do come across quite silly and with good reason as Peter ‘PETZ‘ Schwabl tells the story of a friendship between a snake, a mole, and a greedy bull who chooses the selfish practice of money-making over his friendship with the snake and the mole, only for friendship to come out on top in the end.
Peeping-Bear’s Exegesis of Not Peeping is a satirical observation on government surveillance and the digitally enhanced methods of maintaining control in the form of a peeping bear, amidst the whistle-blowers looking to expose corruption and power-hungry warmongers. Quite a progressive tune that supplements many erratic grooves with precise gesture, the song begins to trail off with sudden tempo shifts and occasional odd time signature changes to a 7/8 instrumental arrangement and a closing heavy breakdown guitar outro.
Apes Don’t Smoke Cigars – Just Pipes plays on a more hallucinatory level, with tripped out guitar phrases making good use of that wah effect whilst incorporating weird minor scales that maintain an interplanetary awareness. This track aims to convey human’s commonality with chimpanzee’s through scientific evidence that points to similarities in DNA. The story therefore points to behavioural patterns in both humans and monkeys are strikingly close, that the complex delusions of superiority are inferior in the eyes of science.
Stuff(ed), Cage(d) & Enslave(d) comes as a more direct and hard-hitting track that gets right down to the groove through a syncopated rhythmic beat complemented by swift intricate guitar licks and a mind-altering build-up of layers of noise-ridden guitar loops. Telling three interlocking stories which all signify humanity’s continued demolition of the world and resilience of the upper hierarchy’s to perpetuate harm to those beneath them for their own pleasure, needs, and assurances. From a girl panda being caged in boxes, teenage dolphins stuffed in tuna cans, or human children enslaved on cocoa plantations, the music creates a disorganised state of chaos to interpret these real experiences.
ZIGGY the Unpigcorn is the final narrative-based track on this EP and continues this funk style complexity within the music, the razor sharp guitars push the metallic aesthetic whilst the bass maintains the groove. The principal theme in this track revolves around the shady side of the cosmetic surgery business, low self-esteem issues in society that lead to many undergoing such practices, and the psychologically traumatic experiences many who have gone under the knife have had whilst others look to profit from that misery. This can be well reflected in the music going from a bouncy, funky verses into much more ominous refrains that imitate the seediness of the business.
The EP ends with a secret track The Rabbit’s Cry bringing this madness to a close with this sombre sounding instrumental track featuring a Spanish guitar line, droning bass and animalistic squeals. In just a handful of tracks, Hog Meets Frog certainly know how to keep their listener engaged, that’s for sure. There’s an element of uniqueness to how each of these songs are written, although you can’t deny the clear influence of say the Primus bass lines or Zappa-esc experimentation, yet it is within the niche, thematic storytelling that gives Hog Meets Frog a real musical identity. The way they can tell a story with humour yet allow you to consider the real and often times scary true circumstances behind where these stories originate is what gives this band their staple. Certainly one to look out for in the future, long live Sqeekquackmusic!
(3.5 / 5)
