What's in a name? Seriously? I mean, Dog Fashion Disco? I would have to say that is a slightly odd band name. Of course, there are plenty of strange band names out there these days. If you have never heard their music, like me, you have to have some sort of idea going in just what you may be stepping into. In the case of Dog Fashion Disco, the only thing I was sure of was that it would be strange. Outside of that, I had no idea. I had heard of them some time ago, but had never actually listened to them.

After listening to the album a few times, and enjoying it immensely, the closest comparison I can think of is Mr. Bungle. Haven't heard of them either, huh? Well that was a project put together by Mike Patton, former singer with the defunct Faith No More. Surely you've heard of them, right? They had a hit back in the early 1990s with an early experiment in the rap/rock crossover called "Epic." Well, Mr. Bungle was a band that put out weird rock/metal/ambient music that could only be described as weird. Dog Fashion Disco's blend of metal, hardcore, ambient, jazz, and lounge would also best be described as weird.

Adultery is the band's third release, following 2001's Anarchists of Good Taste ,and 2003's Committed to a Bright Future. This album marks the first time that they have tried to cohesively put it together. It is a concept album that chronicles the downward spiral a man goes into as he submits to his darker desires. Sounds perfect for a jazz/metal combo act. To be honest, I didn't really listen to it for the story, although I did pick up a few threads here and there.

The disk opens with the atmospheric "The Uninvited Guest." It is a brief intro which only has whispered questions to enter your head, will you let this guest in? It is an eerie piano based welcome to the bizarre that is to follow. It leads directly into the hardcore-influenced "The Sacrifice of Miss Rose Covington." The song splits its time between the hardcore and jazzy sections. I particularly liked the buildup to the close, with it gradually increasing to a frenetic pace.