Does It Offend You, Yeah? - You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into

Actually, that title isn’t true in my case. I caught the tail end of their high energy set at Coachella 2008 and the band’s debut album comes very close to matching the same intensity that enraptured so many that hot desert day with their hard-rocking electronic sounds.

“Battle Royale” sets the stage, slowly growing in scope as sound loops are added and built into a rhythm section. A heavy synth is played on top, then the pace builds with what I would swear are some kind of classic video game sounds added. You’ll want to pogo in place as the beat gets any mobile part of your body tapping along. The song heads into a different, softer direction, but returns to the driving riffs it laid down before.

The vocoder on “We Are Rockstars” and “Doomed Now” might sound too much like Daft Punk for some, but both give way to wild percussion choruses, especially “Rockstars” with its right amount of cowbell.

There is a strong ‘80s alternative music influence on many of the tracks. “With A Heavy Heart (I Regret To Inform You)” and “Dawn of the Dead” both sound like they could be lost tracks, albeit from different bands. However, while the keyboard-led “Dawn” stays soft and mellow throughout, “Heavy Heart” reverts to levels of ferocity on the choruses reminiscent of the more modern-sounding tracks.

With its haunting, intense keyboards “Attack Of The 60 Ft. Lesbian Octopus,” in the running for best song title of the year, sounds like it’s taken from a bad sci-fi movie soundtrack. Too bad it’s less than two minutes.

“Weird Science” is a chance to catch your breath. The beats per minute are markedly lower and maintain the same pace throughout, better suited for grooving in your seat and moving on the dance floor. “Epic Last Song” resembles an uplifting stadium anthem along the lines of The Killers and the bands they sound like as it closes out the album.

You Have No Idea… is perfect for your next dance party. The only drawback is its length, coming in just under 39 minutes. It leaves you wanting more, so if you enjoy what the fellows have created, bonus tracks can be found at iTunes (“Like the Way I Do”) and Play.com (“Tales Of The Chameleon”).