The Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza - Danza III: The Series of Unfortunate Events (Metal Blade) By: Max Barrett

[7.5/10] They really may not sound like they are going to reach down your throat and play your organs like a guitar to make the most devilish of death metal, but The Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza will certainly have you feeling this way after one listen of their third release, Danza III: The Series of Unfortunate Events. It’s apparent that perhaps these guys don’t take themselves too seriously (just one glance at the band name could tell you that), but what they lack in this department they clearly make up for musically. This album is no laughing matter, and there are several reasons why.

The display of techy death metal on offer here is quite sublime as it rampages through various senses. One minute you are being kicked in the nuts with some hooks and breakdowns that are as dirty as the underbelly of a 40 stone man, “Vicki Mayhem” and “A Trail of Fears” exemplify this rather fittingly. This is all happening amidst the head-fuck being issued to you on a gourmet platter by the squealing and wailing alarm clock-esque thread work of Josh Travis and Mike Bradley.

The physical attack will leave you gasping for a breath, with this disc clocking in at just under the hour. The energy and depth of this album makes it a rarity as it holds up for the full length, with tracks throughout the list giving you something to get your teeth into. TDTE even leave some of the very best ‘til the end with “The Union” and “12-21-12” bringing a brutal and fitting finale to a record full of ups and downs, stops and starts and some quite remarkable musicianship.

Though their name will always remain a rather comical antidote, the metal seizure you will leave this album with will soon enable you to realise that what just happened inside your mind was epic. There is no doubt that The Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza have made a musical statement here, one which will be hard to follow by many other acts up there in the dizzy heights of their genre.

www.myspace.com/tonydanzatapdanceextravaganza