Big Dumb Face’s Twisted Take

While his sharp and relentless riffs set the groundwork for rap rousers Limp Bizkit, guitarist Wes Borland, with his weird body paint and freaky get-ups, has always seemed the odd man out among the B-boy rockers of that band. Borland’s bizarre side project, Big Dumb Face, is obviously a way for the musician to indulge his twisted sensibilities.

Tuesday’s show at the El Rey Theatre showcased the experimental rock from the band’s new debut album, “Duke Lion Fights the Terror,” for an enthusiastic but surprisingly thin crowd--maybe all the Bizkit kids are still unaware of the connection.

The touring band includes Borland’s brother Scott on guitar, as well as friends from his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. The group, dressed in green Speedos and horns and standing in front of a faux stained-glass backdrop, at times gave off a slightly satanic vibe, especially when Borland’s voice was digitally altered to sound like a deep-throated demon on their more death-metal-like tunes.

But these eccentric rockers are just too silly to be sinister, especially when they use the vocal programmer to sound like the Munchkins. Recalling the odd offerings of bands such as Ween, Mr. Bungle and GWAR (with less theatricality), Big Dumb Face will likely acquire an equally loyal following. It might not include too many Limp Bizkit fans, but that seems to be the point.