Album Review

There have been many "fierce beasts" in the heavy metal community over the years, but after hearing the third release from Tennessee-based Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, titled Danza III: The Series of Unfortunate Events, many would agree that few match the ferocity of these young bucks. A nonstop sonic onslaught from the get-go, the Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza (wonder what the real Mr. Danza thinks of the group's goofy name?) are all about cranking everything up to max: in other words, screaming that would shred the average metal singer's vocal cords, frantic riffing that at times sounds akin to throwing a guitar down a flight of stairs, and metronome-perfect drumming -- especially on such ragers as "Vicki Mayhem," "Passenger 57," "Suicide's Best Friend," etc. And it takes little time to recognize that the Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza absolutely adore utilizing stop-start-stop-start song structures -- to the point that it could prove detrimental to those who experience motion sickness. While it's impressive how the Extravaganza never let up from beginning to end, it also proves to be their downfall after a while, as all the tracks start sounding exactly the same, and become increasingly predictable. But for lovers of true extreme metal, Danza III: The Series of Unfortunate Events should provide some much needed listening pleasure (or perhaps more fittingly...pain). ~ Greg Prato, Rovi