The Callous Daoboys – “Two-Headed Trout” / “The Demon of Unreality Limping Like A Dog”

Preparing myself to listen to the newest double single from The Callous Daoboys is not an easy task. For those who don’t know who they are – Atlanta, Georgia natives are like a bad of Skittles – always bending musical rules to create new, unconventional, and crazy sounds to grab a listener / a concert attendee by a throat… And eventually, get them on their knees. “Two-Headed Trout” and “The Demon of Unreality Limping Like a Dog” are exactly like mentioned above melodic variations of rock and mathcore music in its best form.  

The first part of the release – “Two-Headed Trout” – is a complete surprise for me coming from The Callous Daoboys. Having them seen live twice and listened to their music before (especially their phenomenal “God Smiles Upon the Callous Daoboys” EP from 2023) I would never expect to hear them create a rock tune with ultra-catchy synths and sung vocals by Carson, the band’s vocalist. The four-minute track is astonishingly melodic and full of surprises. When you feel that they finally calmed their sound – finally we get a magnificent screamed, heavier breakdown that just hits like a two-ton truck on a fast lane highway. With unconventional, quirky lyrics on top of that – it’s a recipe for success. I could see this track being played on popular radio stations during rock radio broadcasts or simply people enjoying it on long road trips to have fresh music to focus on. Ten out of ten, my new favourite tune was made with love from The Callous Daoboys. 

Moving on to the second part of the release – “The Demon of Unreality Limping Like a Dog” – we receive our good, trusted and seasoned mathcore sound that Georgians are known for. Intense, deep drum and guitar tones are soul and bones-crushing from the very beginning. If we add to that formula high pitched screams – you cannot go wrong in terms of mathcore sound. “The Demon of Unreality Limping Like a Dog” is intense, fast-paced track but dressed very tastefully… And if you didn’t have enough of surprises – similarly to “Two-Headed Trout” offers a small change around the middle of the song. Around one minute thirty nine seconds the mood changes into… somewhat tropical sound with featuring of djembe drums and more sung, clean vocals to eventually return to the massive sound from the beginning of the track. Even barking at the end is hilarious and totally fits the vibe meaning the song title amazingly. I can clearly see why band felt like “The Demon of Unreality Limping Like a Dog” and “Two-Headed Trout” are a perfect double single release for its harmonious transition between these two songs. 

Before I wrap up – I have to mention absolutely humorous take on the music video. While the first part of it “Two-Headed Trout” is a clear joke on all American late-night TV talk shows, the latter single thoroughly touches on the matter of gun violence in the States with a “forced” live performance for a terrified crowd inside a made-up TV studio prepared for this video. The production of 10 minutes of one cinematic piece is immaculate. Watching it I felt I was experiencing a mini movie rather than a music video. My highest praises to Grant Butler Media and Halo Union Productions for an outstanding job. 

“Two-Headed Trout” and “The Demon of Unreality Limping Like a Dog” are crisp pieces of music. Full of little revelations, well-produced instrumentals are overall memorable vocals. Both of these songs make me excited to hear the full album – “I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven” which releases on May 16^th via MNRK Heavy. If we get this good music as a starter to a main course – I’m genuinely curious to hear more and be more surprised. Being a fan of mathcore for more than a decade – these singles bring the spirit ofthe best bands of the genre high and prepare for more amazing things to come.

The Callous Daoboys 2025 Tour

 
 Before “I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven” gets released, you can catch The Callous Daoboys live on tour with Silverstein, Thursday and Bloom on the following dates:  

• Feb 28 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz
• Mar 1 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town
• Mar 4 – Brussels, BE @ AB Box
• Mar 5 – Paris, FR @ Trabendo
• Mar 6 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
• Mar 7 – Wiesbaden, DE @ Schlachthof Wiesbaden
• Mar 8 – Munich, DE @ Backstage Werk
• Mar 10 – Vienna, AT @ Arena Wien
• Mar 11 – Nuremburg, DE @ Löwensaal
• Mar 13 – Berlin, DE @ Huxleys Neue Welt
• Mar 14 – Hamburg, DE @ Frosse Freiheit 36
• Mar 15 – Cologne, DE @ Palladium Köln

photo credit: Nick Karp

Artists: The Callous Daoboys