Arsonists Get All The Girls
The Game of Life

March 2008
Released: 2007, Century Media
Rating: 3.0/5
Reviewer: Waspman

Mathcore, video game metal...there’s a sub-genre for everything these days. Somehow though, they always seem to be apt descriptors for bands and their individual quirks. Take for example California’s Arsonists Get All The Girls (AGATG) – both mathcore and video game metal are somehow appropriate for their nutty hybrid of sounds. Formed a few years back, the band is still getting their legs underneath them. THE GAME OF LIFE is the band’s second release (first for heavyweight label Century Media), after a previous EP.

A bizarre band to be sure, what with their humorous song titles (take a gander), dual vocals, stop/start riffs, and oddly placed keyboard washes, AGATG still somehow manages to make a coherent album with this disc. Perhaps it is the metalcore centre around which the band’s math-ified music spins, but there always seems to be something to grab onto amongst the maelstrom. Mind you, it’s nigh impossible to fully enjoy this album as the band constantly switches gears and goes from funny to serious at the drop of a hat, but there are still some overall enjoyable passages here. Problem is, they rarely form into anything that resembles an entertaining song. I guess the closest would be the melodic metalcore insanity of “Tourtasia”.

This might appeal to more adventurous listeners but I’ve never been one to enjoy math metal or whatever it’s called. I appreciate the talent and dexterity it takes to pull this music off, but I just don’t wanna listen to it. Hey, if you’re into this style, don’t hesitate to climb aboard and enjoy the ride. Meet me back at the pharmacy once you’re done.