Detholz!

Cast Out Devils (2006)

Jeff Nurenberg

Growing up in and around Flint and the city's revered (yet unfortunately currently paralyzed) club the Local 432, I got to enjoy a lot of up and coming Chicago bands. Some of my favorites were Much the Same, Nice Peter, Oh My God!, and Detholz!.

If you aren't familiar with Detholz!'s brand of new wave / pop-punk, you've been missing out. They have by far one of the most entertaining live shows I've ever seen. Their last full-length, Who Are the Detholz?!, was a ride through stories of robot uprisings and martians. Musically it was a nice blend of keyboards and pop-punk songs. Devo would be proud.

That was four years ago, however. The band has gone through quite a bit since then. Lyrically, they've put their focus into more serious topics now, most notably their own religious beliefs. You see, the band was formed at an evangelical Christian college. Most of the members are Christian. However, where most Christian rock bands spend their time singing (read: preaching) their beliefs to their listeners, Detholz! find themselves questioning.

Musically, the band has taken their previous sound and juiced it up with tinges of disco. Yes, disco. And it works, remarkably well. With the music on, even if it's simply in the background, you will find yourself wanting to dance.

So what makes Cast Out Devils different than any of the other "dancey" albums plaguing the scene these days? The Detholz! are actually good at it. Do yourself a favor and pick this up. It's a good one.