For their second full length album, The Prople have returned with their trademark frenetic energy and outlandish lyrics. Why Even Ask? is an improvement over both their first album Revenge and their previous Monorail Girl EP in both production quality and intricacy. A key ingredient to this album is the pummeling drums by Kari Frankenstein. The band is now a two-piece with Miss Frankenstein moving to drums while still playing bass, keyboards, and singing vocals thanks to her six arms and approximately four brains. Markky Karloff’s constantly evolving guitars are as resolute and as gigantic as usual and his vocals have been known to open vortexes in concrete all over the city.
Before I continue, I have to mention a pair of truly bizarre songs on Why Even Ask? and I mean bizarre even by The Prople’s standards. As if multiple songs about Disney World and Epcot Center (“Spaceship Death”, “Escape from the Utilidors”, and “Murder at Club 33” respectively) on the same album wasn’t strange enough. First up is the brilliantly broken “Amazing Grace ‘78” which fans of a certain sequel in the Halloween franchise should recognize immediately. Next is “Son of Blattella”, a stylistic departure for the band that goes through so many changes and styles in the same song that it’s reminiscent of the ultimate schizophrenic rock band, Mr. Bungle. This song also has a cameo by the ghost of our good friend, Nafa Fa’alogo!
In order to appear as a completely objective and professional music reviewer, I’d be remiss not to mention my involvement with Why Even Ask?. Recently, Markky Karloff forced me into a little room and left me there for days with only a pile of horror movies to keep me company. It wasn’t long before I completely lost my mind. As I descended into a gibbering mass on the floor, he surreptitiously recorded my ramblings and mixed them into a new version of the classic Prople song called “Doomed Moviethon”. It’s about watching too many movies and completely losing your mind! Sound familiar? I would be lying if I said that this wasn’t my favorite song on the album so I won’t bother.
If songs about video games (references I frankly just don’t get because of my chosen religion), the Planet of the Apes franchise, Dragonball Z, horror films like Hereditary and It, and a Wal-Mart in hell sound like something you’d be into- ew, bro! I’m not into that stuff. But if you are into that stuff then peel all of your skin off. Another option? Simply pick up a copy of Why Even Ask? because this is one hell of an epic album. From the blistering opening bassline of “Fireworks” to the apocalyptically phantasmagorical conclusion of “Vermin”, this is quite a journey for listener. This is such an overall improvement over what I’ve heard from The Prople so far that I can’t wait to hear what they come up with next. Not that I’m into that stuff.