"Dose" is an album built on adrenaline and movement, but after the initial excitement the cracks become easy to spot. The production is huge, compressed and intentionally overwhelming, giving every song a club atmosphere wrapped in metallic aggression. The guitars remain secondary for long stretches because the electronics constantly occupy the foreground. This works during "Reign Supreme", where the balance between thrash riffs and industrial beats finally clicks, and the title track also benefits from that formula. Elsewhere, the album begins to chase stimulation at the expense of memorable songwriting.
Several ideas are introduced only to disappear before they develop into something substantial. There is nothing offensive about that approach, though it quickly becomes one dimensional. The biggest issue is that many sections rely on the same recipe, a frantic beat, shouted vocals and a sudden electronic eruption. By the second half, surprise is no longer a factor. The album is energetic and occasionally entertaining, though it struggles to maintain interest for its entire duration. Listeners expecting a refined marriage between extreme metal and electronic music may come away disappointed because the songwriting often lags behind the concept itself.
There are moments where Trip Villain sound exciting and unpredictable, then another section arrives and the novelty wears off. It is not a frustrating album because the band has talent and chemistry, though there is a constant impression that they have not fully figured out how to translate their ambitious ideas into consistently engaging songs. If someone is curious about this electro thrash experiment, a selective listen might be enough. As a complete experience, it becomes difficult to return to repeatedly. Those looking for a lasting impression should stay away because the album eventually turns into a tiring loop of familiar patterns and overloaded arrangements. People searching for stronger songwriting and more rewarding compositions will likely be unable to tolerate its excesses after a few spins.
|6.0
Release Date May 8th, 2025
Format LP/Digital
Genre Thrash Metal, Nu Metal, Electronic
Origin USA
Trip Villain is a Brooklyn quartet born from different corners of New York's heavy underground. Guitarist and vocalist Josh Musto and drummer Damien Moffitt have played together since childhood, first in teenage thrash outfit ShitKill, then in avant doom act Netherlands, before launching this project during the pandemic. With Jon Ehlers bringing electronic textures and Peter Duke later expanding the synth department, the band has gradually moved away from their psychedelic beginnings toward a collision of thrash metal, industrial dance music and rave culture. Their references are obvious, Static-X, Atari Teenage Riot, Nine Inch Nails and a dose of old school thrash all orbit around their sound.
Trip Villain is not interested in subtlety and that has become their main trait. They prefer oversized hooks, pounding rhythms and electronic layers that often dominate the songwriting. Their background and chemistry explain why the band sounds coordinated even when their ideas head in several directions at once. There is energy, enthusiasm and a genuine desire to merge scenes that do not always coexist naturally. Sometimes that enthusiasm pays off, sometimes it gets in its own way.
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