Big Dumb Face is an American

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

musical project noted for its comedic lyrics and shifts in style, encompassing multiple genres of music, including

grindcore Grindcore is an extreme fusion genre of heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, extreme metal, and industrial. G ...

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

psychedelia Psychedelia refers to the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic music and style of dress during that era. This was primarily generated by people who used psychedelic ...

and pop. Big Dumb Face was formed by brothers Wes and

Scott Borland Scott Borland (born February 14, 1979) is an American musician. Borland is the co-founder, along with his older brother Wes Borland, of the American metal band Big Dumb Face. Scott Borland also contributed to the first three albums by his broth ...

in 1998, serving for the former as a side project of the American band

Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by D ...

. Big Dumb Face released its debut album, ''

Duke Lion Fights the Terror!! ''Duke Lion Fights the Terror!!'' is the debut album by Big Dumb Face. The album is noted for its comedic lyrics and shifts in musical style, encompassing multiple genres of music. Released on March 6, 2001, the album was recorded while Wes Borl ...

'' in 2001, followed by a second album, ''Where Is Duke Lion? He's Dead...'' in 2017.

History

Formation and ''Duke Lion Fights the Terror!!'' (1998-2004)

In 1998, Wes and

formed Big Dumb Face, serving for Wes Borland as a side project of

. In 2001, Big Dumb Face released its debut album, ''

'', through Flip/ Interscope and

Flawless Records Flawless Records was a record label formed by Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst as a division of Geffen Records. It has signed such bands as Puddle of Mudd, The Revolution Smile, and Ringside. Artists ;Past * Big Dumb Face *Kenna *Puddle of Mudd *S ...

, a

vanity label A vanity label (see related topic on vanity press) is an informal name sometimes given to a record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, ...

formed as a Geffen subsidiary by Limp Bizkit frontman

Fred Durst William Frederick Durst (born August 20, 1970) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and director. He is the frontman and lyricist of the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, formed in 1994, with whom he has released seven studio albums. He ap ...

, who is credited as an executive producer on the album. Reviews were mixed.

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

writer Kieran McCarthy dismissed ''Duke Lion Fights the Terror'' as "a mediocre

Ween Ween is an American rock band from New Hope, Pennsylvania, formed in 1984 by Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo, better known by their respective stage names, Gene and Dean Ween. Generally categorized as an alternative rock band, the band are ...

rip-off" while ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' writer Robert Cherry wrote, "Dumb? Check. Big? Not likely." However, a positive review appeared in the ''Deseret News'' in which writer Scott Iwasaki, giving the album three stars, stated, "''Duke Lion Fights the Terror!!'' captures Borland, as Big Dumb Face, at his most spontaneous". Bloody Good Horror writer D.M, in a mixed to favorable review, wrote, "The album’s concept is so scattershot that it’s unfathomable to call the album a cohesive whole." After the release of the band's debut album, Wes Borland began developing a video game sequel to the album, which fell through. Big Dumb Face was sporadically active until 2004.

''Where Is Duke Lion? He's Dead...'' (2017)

Big Dumb Face was inactive for 13 years while Wes Borland was active with other projects, most notably

Black Light Burns Black Light Burns is an American industrial rock band fronted by Wes Borland. Founded in 2005 after Borland departed Limp Bizkit, the band's lineup also includes Nick Annis, Dennis Sanders and Dylan Taylor. Their debut album, '' Cruel Melody'' ...

, rejoining

, and becoming the touring guitarist for

Queen Kwong Queen Kwong is an American indie rock band founded in Los Angeles, California. The band was founded by multi-instrumentalist Carré Callaway (or Carré Kwong Callaway), the band's sole singer and songwriter who was discovered at age 17 by Trent ...

. In June 2017, Borland hinted on

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

that he would revive Big Dumb Face. On October 13, a new Big Dumb Face song, "He Rides The Skies", was released. The band's second album, ''Where Is Duke Lion? He's Dead...'' was released on October 31 through Borland's own label Edison Sound. The album consists of newly written songs alongside one song written in 2001 and another written in 2003. Borland described it as "the most metal record I’ve ever made".

''Christmas In The Cave Of Dagoth'' (2021)

In March 2018, Borland stated that he was working on a Christmas album, intended for release on Black Friday 2018. The album, ''Christmas In The Cave Of Dagoth'', did not get released until December 11, 2021.

Style and influences

Wes Borland cited the music of

and

Mr. Bungle Mr. Bungle is an American experimental rock band formed in Eureka, California in 1985. Having gone through many incarnations throughout their career, the band is best known for music created during their most experimental era. During this time, ...

as an influence on Big Dumb Face's music. Wes Borland stated that the band's music is "really silly and idiotic and bizarre. ..It's nothing but stupid ..just all these retarded songs." ''

Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...

'' referred to the band's music as "death country". ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' describes the band's music as encompassing "

, electronic noise,

steel pan The steelpan (also known as a pan, steel drum, and sometimes, collectively with other musicians, as a steelband or steel orchestra) is a musical instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago. Steelpan musicians are called pannists. Descriptio ...

samples and

describes the band's music as ranging from "

Dr. Demento Barret Eugene Hansen (born April 2, 1941), known professionally as Dr. Demento, is an American radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograp ...

-esque variety-show pop to

alternative country Alternative country, or alternative country rock (sometimes alt-country, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative), is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style ...

à la Ween." Blabbermouth described the band's song "Whipping the Hodeus" as combining "grotesque southern country, ..cinematic rural soundscape,

, and finally, grind/

deathcore Deathcore is an extreme metal subgenre that combines death metal with metalcore. The genre consists of death metal guitar riffs, blast beats, and metalcore breakdowns. While there are some precursors to the concept of death metal fused with met ...

." Bloody Good Horror described the band's music as

comedy metal Comedy rock is rock music that is comedic in nature. Oftentimes it is mixed with satire or irony.V. Bogdanov, C. Woodstra and S. T. Erlewine, ''All music guide to rock: the definitive guide to rock, pop, and soul'' (Backbeat Books, 3rd Edition. ...

, and ''New Noise'' magazine described the band's music as "joke metal", stating, "one minute it’s grindcore and the next it’s

. The genre changes are ripe with humor-inducing irony", citing, as an example, the song "The Blood Maiden", which "uses joyfully upbeat Jamaican steel drums to contrast the lyrics about summoning a demon." ''Deseret News'' writer Scott Iwasaki described the band's music as "riotous meanderings that tap into early grindcore grooves and

Captain Beefheart Don Van Vliet (; born Don Glen Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as Th ...

Band members

;Current members *

Wes Borland Wesley Louden Borland (born February 7, 1975) is an American rock musician. He is best known as the current guitarist and backing vocalist of the rap metal band Limp Bizkit, the lead vocalist and guitarist of the alternative and industrial rock ...

- vocals, guitar, electric bass, drums, programming (1998–2004, 2017–present) *

- guitar, bass, vocals (1998–2004, 2017–present) ;Former members *Kyle Weeks - vocals, sampling (1998–2004) *Greg Isabelle - drums, vocals (1998–2004) ;Touring members *Chris Gibbs - bass (2001)

Discography

* ''

'' (2001) * ''Where Is Duke Lion? He's Dead...'' (2017) * ''Christmas in the Cave of Dagoth'' (2021)

References

{{Authority control American death metal musical groups American grindcore musical groups Comedy rock musical groups Flip Records (1994) artists Interscope Records artists Musical groups established in 1998 Musical groups reestablished in 2017