Escape to Europa is the new release from Man is Doomed,” the “neo-disco-electro-dance band” formerly known as Glorious Monster.
The group is composed of The Skeptics, award-winning music producers Brian Casey and Danny Burke and visual artist Anton Friant. Describing their former band as a “serious” group that made “serious” recordings, Escape to Europa should be considered as something silly. And silly it is.
The disc opens to what sounds like the soundtrack of horror film. Shrill screaming, monsters growling, all meshed with a sound reminiscent of TV snow. What is going on, you might ask? Well, according to the band “The World is turning to crap!” So, “Let the dance party begin!”
Escape to Europa is a great album for anyone who misses the decade when acid washed jeans were worn at the waist and the perm was popular. Typical dance beats, but with a hint of funk dominate tracks with names like “Pink Martini” and “Impact Juicy.” What makes this release enjoyable is the group’s obvious playful approach to the project, but it does have its flaws-many in fact.
Despite their attempt at being original, nearly all the songs are so similar that you question where one ends and another begins.
If listeners can make it past the nearly thirty second introductions to each song, they have the task of deciphering exactly what is being said.
The music overwhelms the singing. A low breathy voice delivers lyrics that could substitute for commentary of a catwalk: “I know you got what I desire, I know that you can feel the fire” on “Electrons in the Air.”
Basically, Escape to Europa’s catchy beats are perfect background noise for shopping at a trendy low end clothing store or people watching at a nightclub until the real music comes on.
A highlight is “Disco Angel, which sounds eerily similar to “7 Nation Army” by The White Stripes but with tacky lyrics. Take for instance, “The disco angel came to me…I came here to disco so don’t be scared… there is a prophecy from the galaxy and it said keep on moving.” Man is Doomed seems to want to take its listeners on a fantasy ride with the zombies from Michael Jackson’s ”Thriller,” but few may want to join them.
