I Don't Want to See You in Heaven

The Callous Daoboys have put out one of the most unpredictable and exciting metalcore albums I’ve heard in ages. Listening to it feels like the band is intentionally trying to catch you off guard, tossing in wild stylistic changes every few seconds. One moment you’re hit with raw, furious energy, and the next, there’s a catchy pop hook, only for everything to suddenly fall apart into chaos before you can even catch your breath.

A lot of that rollercoaster feeling comes down to Carson Pace. His vocals swing between pop-style smoothness and full-on screaming rage, always keeping you guessing. Sometimes he reels you in with a hook, and other times he just tears everything apart. It’s a constant back-and-forth that keeps you hooked but never lets you get too comfortable, because you know things can flip in an instant.

And the range on this album is just wild. “Lemon” sounds like a straight-up pop power ballad, while “Tears on Lambo Leather” is a chaotic, genre-smashing blast, like the band just threw every crazy idea they had into one track. “Distracted By the Mona Lisa” leans into an alt-metal vibe and almost demands you sing along with Carson. Then there’s the absolutely bonkers intros to “Idiot Temptation Force” and “Douchebag Safari.” The former makes you want to chant nonsense with the band, and the second starts out like some goofy Saturday morning cartoon theme before it all goes haywire. None of these songs should work together, but they somehow do, flowing from one to the next in a way that just… works.

But it’s not just about mixing clean vocals with heavy ones. There are jazzy little moments that make things feel light or playful, but then out of nowhere, the music explodes into pure chaos. The thing is, it never actually feels random or messy. The band is clearly in control, almost like they’re messing with you on purpose, getting you used to one sound just long enough to pull the rug out from under you with something totally different.

That’s why the album feels so unpredictable, but never like a mess. The pop hooks actually stick in your head, the heavy riffs are really intense, and all that glitchy weirdness is part of the songs, not just thrown in for effect. Sometimes the changes are so wild you can’t help but laugh, not because it’s goofy, but because it’s just so bold and unexpected.

The Callous Daoboys don’t just blend styles. They weaponize the collisions between them, and you’re the target.