The Callous Daoboys – God Smiles Upon The Callous Daoboys (EP)
Release Date: 20th October 2023
Label: MNRK Heavy & Modern Static
Bandcamp
Genre: Every genre, every way, all at once.
FFO: Protest The Hero, Fall Out Boy, Glassjaw.
Review By: Ross Bowie
After releasing one of last year’s most critically acclaimed records, in Celebrity Therapist, The Callous Daoboys are back just 13 months later with not only a new line-up but maybe the most insane thing they’ve done yet. God Smiles Upon The Callous Daoboys is the sound of every idea you’ve ever had spilling out at once, yet somehow staying cohesive.
If I told you that this EP was the sound of an anime soundtrack, which is set in a samba dance class with an elevator letting out different musicians every 30 seconds – Royal Rumble Style – that wouldn’t even scratch the surface of the batshit routes the band take you across three tracks. The band throw so much at you at every possible opportunity, but have the craftsmen ship to still turn all these ideas into songs and not technical wankery. The Protest To Hero worship is all over the lead guitar lines with frantic tapping and dissonant chords, the keys will happily be sombre before breaking into EDM style beats and vocalist Carson Pace pulls from every influence he can to show his range. The outro to Pushing The Pink Envelope is the best Glassjaw chorus since Worship And Tribute and the hooks don’t stop there.
Waco Jesus was the first song released from the EP, which utilises Buckalew’s thick bass tone to play off Pace’s vocals. This is comfortably the most straightforward song on the EP, but the song is still jam packed full of changes of pace and genre-blending. The Chorus is instantly recognisable and tones things back if only for a brief moment, however the same can’t be said for the EP’s final track, Designer Shroud Of Turin.
This song has absolutely lost the plot, and it’s incredible for it. With a good pair of headphones, you can pick up on the ear candy the band have placed around the mix, which goes from ASMR to sounding like someone has dropped a tray of marbles directly behind you. The vocal hook is so smooth and has almost a Motown quality to the melody, Pulses also make an appearance on the track for a rap-rock section which obviously takes place over a Saxophone solo because what else would it be over? Then with absolutely no warning, you’re thrown into a full-blown samba section. This is all before the final section, which is one of the heaviest sections of music The Daoboys have pinned to date.
It would be impossible to pigeonhole this EP, and I don’t think another band could cover this much ground across just three tracks. The band just seem to grow with every release, and that need’s to be applauded. They’re genreless merchants, and hopefully they keep following down this track because it’s splitting off in every possible direction and I can’t wait to see where they end up next. 
(5 / 5)
