Music Reviews of Crossover, Avant Garde, Nu-metal
Band Spotlight
Chiodos
Perhaps no one can explain the sheer ferocity and timid quietness it is better than when vocalist Craig Owens says “we don’t want to let the kids down” when discussing the group’s intense vocals live at shows. Well they never let a single kid down with their vicious assault on the ears and grip on the jugular...
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03.09.2007 by J-Sin
Music Reviews of Crossover, Avant Garde, Nu-metal
Trapt — Trapt Live! Buy it at Amazon
Limited edition package includes an exclusive music video of a live Trapt performance and some new studio tracks. Hailing from British Columbia, Trapt is another entry in that alternative metal / nu-metal genre that has seen so many popular bands fly up the Billboard Charts. Trapt is no exception, though they seem to have done so by clawing and scratching their way up rather than just being some fly-by-the-night sensation or record label concoction. Vocally they remind one of Bush, but their sound is more sneering and heavy. This is a nice nod to their fanbase as it provides fans unable to see them live a look inside.
- J-Sin
Castor Troy — Patience Above Buy it at Amazon
Deriative alternative rock ripped straight from the late ‘90’s with elements of nu-metal stirred in as if Castor Troy needed to employ more clichés. Mississippi natives that induce yawns of boredom in the vein of Three Days Grace and Breaking Benjamin.
- J-Sin
Revolution Mother — Glory Bound Buy it at Amazon
Professional skater turned rock singer, Mike V. should stick to skating. Distorted guitars wail into the night with a proto aggro rock sound not too dissimilar from Amen—and that’s not a complement.
- J-Sin
40 Below Summer — Rain Buy it at Amazon
It continues to amaze me that this group, a.) exists, 2.) actually gets paid to sound so terrible, and iii.) has the audacity to re-mastered this self-released ’01 album that according to the band “sells for hundreds of dollars PER COPY on eBay”.
- J-Sin
Drowning Pool — Full Circle Buy it at Amazon
Nothing about this group has come “Full Circle”, despite their new singer Ryan McCombs (ex-Soil, which is essentially the same band anyway). Even the deaf hate this talentless nu-metal act from Texas.
- J-Sin
Linkin Park — Minutes to Midnight Buy it at Amazon
Shedding the skin of rap-metal seems to have worn out Linkin Park’s faithful, at least for the moment. Perhaps what’s really going on is that “Minutes to Midnight” is separating Linkin Park’s fanbase from truly avid to mainstream mallrats. Regardless, this well-received (critically at least) full-length is produced in part by Rick Rubin and the group seems intent on changing their direction into one that is more ballad-friendly but still with plenty stadium-rocking affairs to keep the adrenaline pumping. The glitzy production is what gives the album its edge, whereas before Linkin Park merely relied on screams, harsh rasps, and machine gun raps. It may take a while for the masses to accept, but it’ll grow on them for sure.
- J-Sin
Fair to Midland — Fables From a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True Buy it at Amazon
This group signed to System of a Down’s Serj Tankian’s label has almost shed its labeling of just another nu-metal maven with this new entry. Slightly more progressive in the vein of Mars Volta, “Fables...” decidedly treads the worn walkway of Tool and wanders into the territory of some of the more mall-friendly nu-metal bands these days. It’s not something that anyone outside of Ozzfest loyalists will really love, and you’ll just really wonder why they’re wasting their talent on these lame predictable bores.
- J-Sin
Framing Hanley — The Moment Buy it at Amazon
Nu-metal + pop-punk = record sales! Hey if we also brush our hair the wrong way and let our bangs grow out we could totally like rock Fuse! Yippee!
- J-Sin
Static-X — Cannibal Buy it at Amazon
Nu-metal with bad hair and worse lyrics. Your parents won’t let you listen to it, not because it’s “bad for you” but because if you’re going to rebel, you actually have to do it to somewhat decent music. I’d rather listen to a hemorrhoid pop.
- J-Sin
The Sammus Theory — See It Through Buy it at Amazon
Thick bass guitar that reminds one of Tool makes this progressive rock outfit forget about their conceptual debut “Man Without Eyes”. Their debut left a lot of audiences saying either “what”, or “okay that’s nice but why did it sound so hollow”. Well to be fair it was probably more of the former than the latter. Regardless, the Sammus Theory fixes all the flaws on “See It Through”. The album rolls with nu-metal churning guitars and extremely well-produced hooks complete with firm vocals and extremely well thought-out rhythms. Nice.
- J-Sin
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