Metal Underground.com

That skeletal hand giving the one-finger salute in Uncooperative Death's logo serves as a perfect metaphor for the music you get on the band's debut disc. It's loud, crude, and produced on their own terms — and if you don't like it ?

Sure, I could gripe about the fact the disc sounds like it was recorded in someone's garage. Or I could just go with it and have some fun, which, despite song titles like "The Blame" and "Murderous Apotheosis," is just what the band did. Hence, you have a mixture of death metal, punk, and prog rock that works much better than it has any right to.

Despite the somewhat limited production, it's obvious that this band has some impressive chops. I particularly enjoyed the punky guitar work by Dan Cormier and Tristan Mailman, that gives way to a solo that's pure metal on "Bloody Bathroom," which seems to be the band's ode to "Fight Club."

"Chew The Leg Off" shows that, despite its death metal leanings, the band isn't afraid of bass guitar, allowing Paul Sarrazin to have a few bass breaks.

All that said, my favorite two tracks are probably the ones meant to be taken the least seriously — a pair of acoustic tracks at the end. "Murderous Apothecary" is a great little stomp, while the "Raunch Dressing Version" of "Solanum" has a sound that's warm and ominous at the same time. Plus, the production difficulties aren't as immediately obvious with the acoustic sound.

On the down side, there are a couple of tracks, "The Blame," and "Ambivalent Disclosure," that don't really go anywhere, and the production values aren't great. That said, it's hard not to give Uncooperative Death credit for its songwriting, attitude and sense of fun.