Big Dumb Face is an American

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

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

grindcore Grindcore is an extreme metal, extreme fusion genre of heavy metal music, 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, e ...

death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, 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 death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...

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 ...

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

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

psychedelia Psychedelia usually refers to a Aesthetics, style or aesthetic that is resembled in the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience produced by certain psychoactive substances. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic ...

and

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

. Big Dumb Face was formed by brothers Wes and Scott Borland in 1998, serving for the former as a side project of the American band

Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American nu metal band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto (drummer), John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers (bassist), Sam ...

. Big Dumb Face released its debut album, '' Duke Lion Fights the Terror!!'' 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 Scott Borland formed Big Dumb Face, serving for Wes Borland as a side project of

. In 2001, Big Dumb Face released its debut album, '' Duke Lion Fights the Terror!!'', through Flip/

Interscope Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...

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 * Big Dumb Face * Kenna *Puddle of Mudd * She ...

, a

vanity label Informally, a vanity label (compare vanity press) is a record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the com ...

formed as a Geffen subsidiary by Limp Bizkit frontman

Fred Durst William Frederick Durst (born Frederick Allen Mayne III; 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 release ...

, 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 database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

writer Kieran McCarthy dismissed ''Duke Lion Fights the Terror'' as "a mediocre Ween rip-off" while ''

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

'' 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 was 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 Kwong Callaway, the band's sole singer and songwriter who was discovered at age 17 by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch N ...

. In June 2017, Borland hinted on

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

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 Ween and

Mr. Bungle Mr. Bungle is an American experimental rock band formed in Eureka, California, in 1985. The band is known for its eclecticism, cycling through several musical genres, often within the course of a single song, including heavy metal, avant-garde ...

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 published by different companies available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' featu ...

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

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' describes the band's music as encompassing "

, electronic noise,

steel pan The steelpan (also known as a pan or steel drum) is a musical instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago from Afro-Trinidadians. Steelpan musicians are called pannists. In 1992, the steelpan was declared Trinidad and Tobago’s national in ...

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

alternative country Alternative country (commonly abbreviated to alt-country; also known as alternative country rock, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative) is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that diffe ...

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 Breakdown (music)#Heavy metal and punk rock, breakdowns. While there are some precursors ...

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

comedy metal Comedy rock is a genre of rock music that is comedic in nature. It is often 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 Ed ...

, 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 known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as the M ...

Band members

;Current members *

Wes Borland Wesley Louden Borland (born February 7, 1975) is an American rock musician. He is the guitarist and backing vocalist of the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, the lead vocalist and guitarist of the alternative and industrial rock band Black Light Burn ...

- vocals, guitar, bass, drums, programming (1998–2004, 2017–present) *Scott Borland - keyboards, vocals, guitar, bass (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

* '' Duke Lion Fights the Terror!!'' (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 American comedy rock musical groups Flip Records (1994) artists Interscope Records artists Musical groups established in 1998 Musical groups reestablished in 2017