L.A. Beat

DOA is calling it a day as frontman Joey “Shithead” Keithley intends to run for B.C provincial political office for the NDP party in Coquitlam-Burke Mountain riding.

  DOA  have been the standard bearers for Vancouver punk and Canadian punk rock, pretty much ever since there was punk in Vancouver and Canada. However they are in the midst of their final tour dates, and presumably have released their last CD in the somewhat ironically titled “We Come In Peace.”
 Peace and love aren’t the first adjectives to come to mind while describing DOA's music. Try terms like  “angry,”  “loud,”  “social activism” and punk rock.”

 Nonetheless if “We Come In Peace” is the last DOA CD, and hopefully it isn’t, then it is a fitting end to a storied career.

  Joe Keithley, as usual, supplies jagged guitar riffs and snarls about war, poverty, violence, war, the media, war, greed, Occupy Wall Street and for some variety — zombies.

There is a lot of musical variety on “We Come In Peace.” There are plenty of the politically charged three chord rockers DOA is known for, but they also flirt with Celtic music on “Dirty Bastards,” there is even a touch of reggae on “We’re Bloodied But Unbowed” and the outstanding “War Hero.”

They also play with country -rock on the highlights “ Lost Souls,” and The Man With No Name,” which has a spaghetti western feel.

 They even go back to their roots by supplying a smoking version of the Beatles’ “Revolution.”
They also bring in old friends like the Dead Kennedy’s Jello Biafra who sings on one of the highlights “We Occupy,” about the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Another highlight “Do You Wanna,” also sounds like is sung by Biafra, as it features the same style adenoidal vocals, however Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent does the honours on that one.

  The Headstones’ Hugh Dillon adds extra vocals to “Boneyard,” and they welcome back several former  DOA members including Brian “Wimpy Roy” Goble, Ford Pier and Floor Tom Jones to sing extra background vocals.
 “Bring out Your Dead,” the zombie song, is a highlight because of the catchy guitar riff and searing guitar solo.
They wind things down with another reggae tinged number “Walk Through this World.”
 The Cd ends with an acoustic version of the DOA classic “General Strike.”