I remember when I reviewed PepperDome’s last album Let’s Try The Other Side back in 2009 and I was left thinking what the hell did I just hear? PepperDome is back with a brand new EP titled Chaos Point. Get ready to fasten your seatbelt once again because PepperDome is taking you on one heck of a ride.
The group is actually made up of one person by the name of John Tokarczyk. This one man is responsible for all vocals, guitar, bass and drums, so obviously an artist of many talents. PepperDome puts it all together in the most unconventional fashion where it’s really hard to decipher just what exactly is happening. With moments of hard rock and alternative bunched together with new wave and everything else in between, you will never know what to expect next from PepperDome. John Tokarczyk is creating musical chaos here and this is exactly what PepperDome thrives for.
What I’m hearing on Chaos Point is similar in ways to that of their last record. Again I am witnessing standout performances on guitar, drums and bass just as I did on Let’s Try The Other Side. I am also hearing thought-provoking lyrics once again and that unorthodox style of singing still hangs around. PepperDome’s quirky vocal approach is something I couldn’t comprehend on the last album and the same goes for this EP as well. I do have to say that there was a slight improvement in the vocal department especially toward the end of the 6-track recording. On songs five and six, “Break” & “I Know”, I finally picked up on a sense of everything sort of coming together musically. The guitar and drums were workin’ it here and John’s singing almost seemed to fit the puzzle that is PepperDome.
Once again I’m left hanging because I just can’t relate to PepperDome’s approach to singing verses. Maybe I just haven’t figured it out yet and PepperDome has got the last laugh, but it still doesn’t add up for me. I might suggest adding in some different singers to the mix just to see what happens; you might surprise even yourself. PepperDome is playing to the tune of uniqueness and creativity that would be hard to duplicate. You’ve got substance, you have guitar playing and drumming that are crazy good and finally you get PepperDome making a Chaos Point of no return.
By Jimmy Rae (jrae@skopemag.com)
[Rating: 2.5/5]
