Does It Offend You Yeah? - Dawn of the Dead

Every once in a while, life hands you little reminders that those old proverbs we hear so often aren't completely hackneyed. In the case of Dawn of the Dead, that proverb is 'don't judge a book by its cover' - with the depictions of the band as flesh-eating zombies, one could expect anything from hardcore thrash to horror rap. But when the disc spins, Does It Offend You Yeah? deliver a hit of hardly remarkable electro rock. An obvious new wave streak informs the tracks big beats and snaps, as well as a meandering guitar line and synths, but the band's not really delivering fresh meat here. Not enough for a band whose moniker kinda-sorta-maybe promises something provocative and inventive. [Jason Morton]