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Make Me – It Only Hurts The First Time

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‘It Only Hurts The First Time’ is the début album from the Californian band that is Make Me. The sound of Make Me is very hard to define; it’s keyboard pop music with a lofi edge and an indie rock twinge also; even this description is not entirely accurate however as although all these sounds can here be heard in the music of Make Me, a lot of others can too.

This ‘It Only Hurts The First Time’ release is a strange album with which Make Me put across many different opposing sounds, sounds that really shouldn’t go together, and it really sounds that way too. There’s often a horrible cacophony of noise here; out of tune vocals, upbeat synth pop keyboard sounds, and a more powerful rock guitar edge also. The music of Make Me most definitely is different, the problem is however that it just doesn’t work. Make Me is not a band that can be accused of following fashions, copying popular musical trends, or in fact sounding at all like any other artist on the planet; it can however be complained that the music is not very good as it just really isn’t.

Final track ‘Odysseus in Wichita’ is the best that this album has to offer; more of a straight up rock approach is taken here than at any other point on the album and this I feel is something that works out well for the band. It’s not a great track, at least the music is a little more bearable to listen to here however as the sound created here doesn’t come across so messily as with all the other eight tracks on this album. The best is saved until last here, and although it’s not great; it’s the one and only track from this album that I’d happily listen to again in the future.

The lyrics are intelligently thought out here, there is great depth to the lyrical aspect of the music of Make Me but because the instrumental/vocal sound is just so dreadful here the lyrical importance just really goes out the window. The lyrics are great, to get to the lyrics you must first listen to the bands horrendous sound however and this I feel is the biggest problem.

This is really quite a terrible début album from Make Me; there’s a high level of intelligence and lyrical depth here but the music itself really is just too weird and out there. The band is here doing many things at once, too many things at once in fact and the sound created here is therefore not too great to listen to at all. Many different musical influences are showcased here, ‘It Only Hurts The First Time’ is an extremely unpredictable album from Make Me and although not at all to my tastes; it certainly is very different. If you’re after something different then ‘It Only Hurts The First Time’ is an album which most definitely will provide that; the fact that the music is so different will however surely limit this bands potential fan base significantly. Make Me is an artist like no other out there and for this the band must surely be given credit; not too much credit mind as quite frankly this album is absolute utter rubbish.

Label: Plastic Head Music
Release Date: January 1st 2008

Rating:
Review Star

This Is Hell – Sundowning

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‘Sundowning’ is the début full length release from the Long Island hardcore punk band that is This Is Hell. This Is Hell is not a band trying to reinvent the wheel with its sound, this album brings nothing new to its genre, what it is however is a hard hitting album of hardcore punk and one which always packs a hefty punch. Fifteen tracks feature here and the album has a total run time of just under 31 minutes; the tracks are short, the music is greatly powerful here however and always the bands sound has much to offer.

From first track ‘Retrospect’ right through to closing classic ‘Another Facade’ this album truly is brilliant. There’s not much variation here, none in fact; the album is strong though and although every track present on this album is incredibly stylistically similar the music most definitely has much to offer. The guitar work is excellent here, the vocals are brutally shouted, and always the drumbeats are absolutely excellent.

There’s a high level of aggression presented by the band throughout this album; the sound created here is instrumentally hard hitting and vocally powerful also. The tracks build well and there’s a lot of passionate anger which can here be heard in the vocal performance. If you’re a big fan of hardcore punk then you’ll have heard this sound done a thousand times before; This Is Hell is a band that does the hardcore punk genre proud however and although the sound created here is nothing too innovative, it’s most definitely an excellent album to listen to.

The hardcore punk sound is always here extremely well put across by the band, every vocal line is ferociously shouted and for a début album ‘Sundowning’ truly is incredibly impressive. This Is Hell is not a band that is doing anything particularly new, what this band is doing however is playing incredibly dark and excellent hardcore punk with great precision and power.

‘Sundowning’ is an album that all fans of hardcore punk should own in their collection; this will never go down in history as a classic, it is however a fantastic way for This Is Hell to introduce themselves as a band with a hardcore punk album of such high calibre. If you listen to a lot of hardcore punk then ‘Sundowning’ is an album that you should most definitely own, and I suggest you make the investment sooner rather than later also as I’m sure that this is one hardcore punk album that you shall be listening to an awful lot.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: November 19th 2007

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview StarReview Star

City Sleeps – Not An Angel

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City Sleeps is an alternative rock band from Atlanta, ‘Not An Angel’ is the bands début album and was released through Trustkill Records in November 2007. The band blends rock elements with post-hardcore tinges also, the sound created here is quite bouncy and melodic; the guitar work is strong and the bands choruses always are highly infectious. Thirteen tracks are present here and this therefore provides for forty minutes of music.

Although this album is fun and there is no denying that City Sleeps is a band that possesses great talent; I have one main complaint with this album in that the sound created here has been done a million times before. There are plentiful amounts of guitar hooks, the choruses are well sung out, and every track has an absolutely excellent melody; as you listen to this album you get a severe feeling of deja vu however as the bands sound really is extremely generic. The songs all sound fairly similar, all following the same melodic rock formula and therefore providing for a supremely unspectacular overall listening experience. It’s all been done before, and it’s been done better by other artists too. City Sleeps sound like a slightly more instrumentally hard hitting American version of Busted.

‘Just Another Day’ is I feel the best track that this album has to offer, it’s a strongly constructed musical piece in all areas and the guitar work most definitely is highly impressive here. The vocals are as excellent as ever and the chorus really has quite a bite about it which really is excellent to hear. This I believe is the best track of the bunch, all of the other songs sound pretty similar but this is the best one of the lot. ‘Bones’ is another hugely hard hitting crunching rock track from this album; the drumbeats are highly powerful and at times the vocal tone taken here escalates into a generic post-hardcore scream. The music of City Sleeps is highly contrived, it’s fun to listen to but nothing at all new.

The best way to describe the music of City Sleeps would definitely be to say that the vocal sound is very similar to that of Busted, and that the instrumental element is not too different either. The instrumental side of things is a little more powerful perhaps, the vocal performance isn’t however and if anything then Busted is actually the vocally edgier of the two artists.

If you like the idea of a not so impressive American Busted then this ‘Not An Angel’ album should be one that shall appeal. This is certainly no great album, the choruses are fun enough to sing along to however and the melodious nature of the music is always quite impressive. Busted’s ‘A Present For Everyone’ is an album which possesses an extremely similar sound, if given a choice between ‘A Present For Everyone’ and City Sleeps’s ‘Not An Angel’ however then I’d pick the Busted album every time without any hesitation whatsoever.

‘Not An Angel’ is an album which is worth listening to in full at least once, it’s not fantastic but if you listen to the album from start to finish then you’ll be able to pick out your favourite tracks and then in the future be able to ignore all the others. This emo tinged rock release is no genre defining album, it is however one that is fairly entertaining to listen to from time to time.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: November 19th 2007

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview Star

Malefice – Entities

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‘Entities’ is the debut album from Malefice; a metalcore band from Reading, UK. The band formed in 2003 and this album was released through Anticulture Records in summer 2007. The album consists of twelve tracks of hard hitting metalcore music, the band here puts across an instrumentally melodic opening before firing you into the true heart of the music and it is here that the sound really begins to explode.

‘Empirical Proof, Pt. 1’ is the opening track here; it’s a minute and a half of pleasantly put across instrumental sound which is then followed by ‘Risen Through the Ashes’. As the opening track plays you can’t really tell what will follow, there’s some underlying power within the sound but you’re certainly not prepared for what comes next. ‘Risen Through the Ashes’ is a powerful four minute track of brutal metalcore, there’s a hint of death metal in the sound here also and the vocals are growled out by the bands lead vocalist Dale Butler. Dale Butler grunts and growls his way through this album, the music is instrumentally powerful and the vocal performance also has much to offer. The tracks are all incredibly similar; the music is however interesting to listen to and the bands sound always possesses plenty of power and a large abundance of energy.

‘Empirical Proof, Pt. 2’ is the eighth track on this album, it’s a continuation of the opening track and once more here the sound is pleasantly put across by the band. It’s another instrumental offering of music and these instrumental pieces provided by the band really do break this album up nicely. Most of the tracks featured here sound very much the same, it’s nice that the band has included a little in the way of variation with this album and slipped in a couple of tracks that are a little more light and approachable than the others. As you’re listening to this ‘Entities’ album it’s these two tracks that stand out; as interesting as the bands brutal metalcore music is to listen to, it’s certainly nice to hear the band try out something a little bit different from time to time here.

Closing track ‘Bringer of War’ provides the album with a fantastic final moment, it’s my personal favourite from this ‘Entities’ release and always the music has much to offer here. The track possesses elements of grindcore, metalcore, and death metal also; it’s a fine mix of sound and with this track the album ends on a definite high. The guitar work is powerful, the drumbeats also are highly heavy, and vocally here the band jumps between grunts, growls, and the odd occasional spoken vocal line also. This final track is four minutes long and there are not a finer four minutes present on the album than this.

For those that love their metalcore then the music of Malefice should most definitely be of great appeal. The tracks are all quite similar, very similar in fact; the tracks are extremely finely constructed however and both instrumentally and vocally also the music created by the band here is always highly impressive. The two instrumental tracks break up the album nicely, the music is very well put across by Malefice but most definitely creativity is not one of the bands finest points. The tracks are all extremely stylistically similar; it’s a decent album of metalcore however from a band that implements strongly elements of death metal into its sound. Malefice’s ‘Entities’ album is well worth a listen, it’s not exactly the best album ever to have been released in the genre of metalcore but a noteworthy effort nonetheless.

Label: Anticulture Records
Release Date: August 20th 2007

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview Star

Ghost Game DVD Review

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Originally released in 2006, ‘Ghost Game’ (Thai title ‘Laa-thaa-phii’) is cited as being ‘one of the most controversial horror movies ever made’; it was actually banned in Cambodia and for good reason too. ‘Ghost Game’ is a Thai horror movie which pits 11 contestants in a reality TV show where they must survive in a war museum which was once a prisoner of war camp. The reason? 5 million baht is up for grabs for the winner here, these eleven are therefore more than willing to be locked inside this apparently haunted museum on the off-chance that they may walk away with the big cash prize. In the 1970s it was estimated that no less than 17 000 people were tortured and executed here, it’s a horrible place for these eleven contestants to have to endure and they must spend all their hours locked within these blood stained walls.

In a Big Brother style situation, the eleven contestants will be on constant watch here and CCTV cameras will be transmitting their every waking move 24 hours a day. There’s no escaping the cameras, they’re situated everywhere in order to give the audience the best viewing experience possible and a variety of different tasks are set in order to keep viewing figures high and ensure that the contestants are constantly kept on their toes.

From the very beginning of the film I got the feeling of a Big Brother meets Battle Royale kind of scenario; its reality television taken to its absolute extreme and looks into the idea of just how far some members of society will go in order to gain a bit of fame and fortune. What’s so brilliant about ‘Ghost Game’ as well is that the cast chosen for this film were real-life contestants taken from the TV show Academy Fantasia; the Thai equivalent of American Idol. These are not actors, these are actual reality TV show contestants and this therefore adds to the overall atmosphere and appeal of the film for me. This casting choice could have resulted in disastrous consequences, it didn’t though and on the whole the performances put in here are really rather impressive. There are a few that fail to impress here, the majority of those cast within the film do a good job however and help to create a powerful atmosphere throughout this fine Thai horror.

The reason that this film was banned in Cambodia is that the prisoner of war camp location of ‘Ghost Game’ closely mimics the actual Cambodian location of the Tuol Sleng genocide prison in Phnom Penh. It’s called ‘Camp Case 17’ in ‘Ghost Game’ and is set in the fictitious country of Jedah, it’s not fooling anyone however and the real life resemblance to that of Cambodia’s Tuol Sleng genocide prison is just too close to ignore. It was argued by the Cambodian government that the film glorifies and exploits the events which took place in the genocide prison, manipulating facts and therefore giving people an inaccurate and misleading impression of what really went on at the Tuol Sleng genocide prison. It’s a fairly argued case by the Cambodian government and I understand entirely why it would be seen fit to ban this film in Cambodia, I am however glad that this film has been given its release in the UK as I truly did enjoy viewing it.

Whilst I did enjoy viewing this film I also found at times that the pace was a little too slow, relatively little was going on within the film and when there was action it was often a little stunted. As the cast were not professional actors there are times when this really does show, their inexperience shines through and becomes glaringly obvious as you watch the film unfold. Many of the cast are excellent, there are a few that just don’t work too well at all however and for me these performances did let the overall quality of the film down a little. The occasionally poor quality of acting reflects upon the film as at certain points when there is an element of action which should really have you jumping, the film fails to have its desired effect as you’re too busy thinking about the ineptitude of the actors present here. ‘Ghost Game’ is a film that builds tension fairly well when it wants to, some of the more intense moments of the film are definitely spoilt a little by the quality of the acting however and this really is quite a shame.

The funny thing about ‘Ghost Game’ is that its one of those films that really seems to get going only about 10/15 minutes from the end. Whereas other films of this sort fail however in that the rest of the film has been fairly anonymous, ‘Ghost Game’ is a film which does well to hold your interest throughout and although the best is left until the end; when the end is reached you do actually care what will happen which is more than can be said of some films of this sort. It’s a puzzling end to the film, one that is action packed however and definitely the final few minutes of ‘Ghost Game’ leave you thinking for long after the film has finished.

Directed by Sarawut Wichiensarn, this is a director that I had not come across before but most definitely one that I shall be watching out for in the future. As far as I can make out this is actually the mans directorial debut so he certainly did well here with this, his first film as director. This is not the best horror film in the world, I like the way that it works on a very much cerebral level however and instead of relying purely on showing you plenty of blood and gore; the film builds up tension and fright in your mind, allowing you to form the images for yourself rather than needing to display them visually on screen. Filmed in the Thai language, this is a subtitled film that I’d definitely recommend viewing; I recognised elements of 70s slasher films such as ‘Halloween’ here, hints of Hideo Nakata’s ‘Ringu’ also, the 24-hour filming idea does however draw allusions to the hit reality TV series Big Brother and this idea can also be found utilised in such films as Marc Evans 2002 reality snuff tale ‘My Little Eye’. Although not exactly a new concept to model a movie on reality television; director Sarawut Wichiensarn does here do a very good job in putting to film this haunting ghostly tale that is ‘Ghost Game’.

Special Features:-

In the way of extras, what you’ll find here first and foremost is a ‘Cast and Crew Documentary’. We here learn that the director wanted the film to look not only real, but mysterious and creepy also. Sarawut Wichiensarn wanted to film from a location which had never been caught on film before, and he tells us here just how important he perceives location to be. The cast interviews are quite limited; all the cast tell us is who they play in the film and what their characters are like (which we already know from watching the film anyway). The interviews with the crew are quite interesting here, the cast interviews are however fairly unnecessary.

Also included here is an original theatrical trailer for the film, and further trailers for such other films in the Cine-Asia catalogue as ‘Apartment 1303’, ‘Dragon Tiger Gate’, ‘Flash Point’, ‘Welcome to Dongmakgol’, and ‘Chocolate’ also. This provides an interesting insight into what other films Cine-Asia has to offer (Cine-Asia is a registered trademark Showbox Media Group Ltd.).

Rating:

Get Amped – Postcards From Hell

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‘Postcards From Hell’ is the exciting 2006 album release from the great UK based band that is Get Amped. The album was released through StrongLikeBull Records, seventeen super melodic punk tracks are featured here and never does the music created by the band here fail to impress. Think of bands such as The Offspring, and then imagine a hard rock influence also and you’ll come some way close to understanding the sound of Get Amped. The guitar riffs are heavy, the music is greatly melodious however, and vocally the sound is always incredibly well put across by the band here.

The album begins with one of the instrumentally heaviest tracks on this album; title track ‘Postcards from Hell’ possesses a super guitar riff and an absolutely infectious chorus also. It’s an incredibly well put across piece of punk music, the instrumental element is incredibly hard hitting, the vocals however are sweetly spoken and always supremely soft and gentle. The band actually cites two of its earliest influences as Iron Maiden and Queen, this certainly comes across in the instrumental ethic of the band; the music is however rooted very much in the genre of melodic pop punk.

The lyrics always put across powerful messages here, it’s easy to overlook this however as the music is just so incredibly catchy that you often find yourself distracted by this quality of the music rather than paying too much attention to the lyrical content of the album. The lyrics are incredibly intelligently constructed by the band here, this adds further depth and excellence to the album and always here the music of Get Amped is not only lyrically brilliant but instrumentally and vocally sublime also.

Another of the bands earliest influences is actually The Police, an acknowledgement to this influence is shown here through a cover of The Police track ‘Walking On The Moon’. You can tell that it’s a cover track, the tone taken by the band is very different but the music is just as powerfully put across here as with the rest of the album. The band does incredibly well here of covering the track; it’s a fine cover from the band and works well at the very centre of this album.

If you’re quite a fan of the poppier end of the punk spectrum then this album from Get Amped should most definitely be of great appeal. Tracks such as ‘Postcards From Hell’, ‘Reject & Sterilise’, and powerful closing track ‘Black Clouds’ also are some of the bands finest moments from this album; all of these tracks are absolutely excellent and I’d highly recommend all to listen to them. From start to finish here this album from Get Amped is absolutely magnificent, the music has so much to offer and in all areas the bands music impresses greatly. Every track on this album is incredibly well created and crafted, never does the music cease to amaze and always the band shows itself to be exceptional as it blasts through these fine seventeen tracks of music.

Label: Strong Like Bull
Release Date: April 17th 2006

Rating:
Five Star ReviewFive Star ReviewFive Star ReviewFive Star ReviewFive Star Review

Engel – Absolute Design

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Gothenburg in Sweden is a city very well known for its melodic death metal music, it’s an absolute breeding ground for bands of this sort and it should therefore come as no surprise that this is exactly where the band Engel hails from. The band blends brilliantly the genres of melodic death metal and industrial metal also with this, the debut album from Engel that is ‘Absolute Design’. The album consists of twelve tracks and was produced by Anders Fridén (singer of the band In Flames).

Engel is a band which consists of two incredibly talented guitarists; Marcus Sunesson is an ex-member of the band The Crown whilst Niclas Engelin has been in such bands as Gardenian, In Flames, and Passenger also. Their experience shines through throughout this album, always the guitar work is excellent here and this I feel is a defining element and feature of the bands sound. The guitar riffs are incredibly powerful, the band is hugely energetic in its approach, and vocally also the music always has much to offer here. An industrial edge can certainly be felt at all times, particularly in the dirty guitar work that the tracks so often possess; it’s a fine sound and one that is very well put across by the band here.

Engel could be seen as a metal supergroup of sorts, all of the bands members have been involved in various other musical projects over the years and now they are bringing their joint excellence together in this fine five-piece band that is Engel. The drum work is powerful, the bass lines work well in the bands sound, and vocally the Engel sound always is exceptional. Mangan Klavborn is the bands vocalist, a former member of the band Headplate and never here does his vocal style cease to impress. This isn’t the best melodic death metal album ever, it’s pretty good though and the industrial element certainly adds edge and depth to the music.

If you’re after an authentic Gothenburg melodic death metal album then Engel’s ‘Absolute Design’ isn’t a bad album to listen to. This debut release from the band always is excellent; the thirteen tracks present on this album are all brutally heavy and both instrumentally and vocally impressive also. I’d certainly recommend listening to tracks such as ‘Scyth’ and ‘Next Closed Door’ from this album, with these tracks the music of Engel always offers plenty and the sound created by the band is pretty much faultless. There are better metal albums out there than this, ‘Absolute Design’ is however one of the best metal albums to have emerged in 2007 and given that this was only the first album from the band I think it’s safe to say that we can expect a lot more from Engel in the not too distant future.

Label: SPV Records
Release Date: November 5th 2007

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview StarReview Star

Tarja – My Winter Storm

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‘My Winter Storm’ is the second studio album from Tarja Turunen, a supreme singing sensation who fronted the symphonic power metal band Nightwish between the years of 1996 and 2005. It’s a stunning eighteen track piece of art; an incredibly well structured album and one that I’d highly recommend to all. If you like the music of Nightwish then chances are that you’ll absolutely love what you find here, it’s more of the same really (only this album from Tarja is far better than anything Nightwish has recorded and released for a long while).

The album storms into action with ‘I Walk Alone’, a four minute power piece with an exquisitely fine chorus to boot. The operatic singing voice of Tarja comes shining through here, this is the most prominent sound that can here be heard and the atmospheric instrumental backing provided here is absolutely stunning. With every passing track the sound created here just seems to get more and here the eighteen tracks of this album are highly impressive pieces of music.

‘My Winter Storm’ is a symphonic metal album of the highest order, the classical vocal sound of Tarja is stunning throughout the entirety of this release and every track here comes complete with a phenomenal instrumental opener. The music builds for roughly one minute with each and every track before the vocals of Tarja Turunen are thrown into the mix also, the album works incredibly well and every track present here stands out strongly as you listen to this fine solo release from Tarja.

Tarja even manages to fit an Alice Cooper cover in here in the form of ‘Poison’. I’ve always been a huge fan of ‘Poison’, Tarja certainly does the track proud here and puts a wonderful new spin on the classic Alice Cooper track. It’s not exactly as powerful as the original, it’s still quite interesting to hear Tarja Turunen’s take on the track however and her beautiful voice compliments the instrumental backing fantastically well here.

If you liked Nightwish when Tarja Turunen was the lead vocalist of the band then chances are that you will love what you find here with this ‘My Winter Storm’ release. Featured here are eighteen incredible tracks from the fine Finnish singer, the fact that this album achieved gold status in Finland on the very day of its release speaks for itself I feel; it’s such an exceptional album from the hugely talented Tarja Turunen. The album has now achieved platinum status in Finland and gold status in Russia also, it’s a fine second album from Tarja Turunen as a solo artist and one that I personally would highly recommend investing in.

Label: Universal Music
Release Date: November 19th 2007

Rating:
Five Star ReviewFive Star ReviewFive Star ReviewFive Star ReviewFive Star Review

Throwdown – Venom and Tears

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‘Venom and Tears’ is the 2007 album release from the straight-edge metalcore band that is Throwdown. The album consists of 13 tracks and this provides for 49 minutes of music. This is the fifth studio album from the California based band and does I feel provide for quite an interesting overall listening experience. The tracks all sound fairly similar, it’s quite a well put together album of music however and those that like a good bit of thrash metal should definitely appreciate this album from the band.

The guitar work is excellent here, the vocals also are very well put across in the bands sound and the combination play of vocals and instrumental element works incredibly well. There are some powerful guitar riffs put across in the bands sound, the drum work also is frantically paced and this therefore provides for a hugely entertaining listening experience. The music is always heavy, and with every passing track the band shows itself to be incredibly instrumentally proficient.

The fact that all the tracks sound incredibly similar here does I feel detract away from the overall quality of the album, ‘Venom and Tears’ is by no means a bad album but a little bit of variation would certainly not go amiss. From first track ‘Holy Roller’ right through to penultimate anthem ‘Godspeed’ there is really no telling the tracks apart, all the tracks seem to blend together as one as you listen to this album and this is a definite area of improvement for the band to focus on.

The final track on this album is actually a cover of the Sepultura track ‘Propaganda’, this therefore provides for a little bit of variation on the album; not much however. Throwdown very much make this track their own, you can tell it’s a cover in that it sounds a little different from the rest of the album; Throwdown have certainly put their own individual spin on this track though and it therefore comes across extremely well as the closing track of this ‘Venom and Tears’ album. The powerful guitars are present as ever and the vocals also are incredibly well shouted out by the band here, there are some super drum fills and this ‘Propaganda’ closing track certainly provides this album with a fine finale.

‘Venom and Tears’ is certainly not the best album to have been released in the genre of thrash metal, it’s not even the best album that Throwdown has ever released actually; it’s worth a listen though, particularly if thrash metal is your favourite style of sound. The bands roots are very much in the hardcore scene, over the years a more metal direction has been taken by the band however and here the music of Throwdown is even more metal than ever. The album possesses elements of metalcore, for the most part however its a pure blend of thrash and groove metal which is well done by the band albeit fairly unspectacularly. The tracks all sound incredibly similar here, this therefore holds back the overall quality of the album; if you can get over the fact that all the tracks sound pretty much the same though then plenty of enjoyment can be gained from listening to this ‘Venom and Tears’ album from Throwdown.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: September 10th 2007

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview Star

Sevendust – Alpha

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‘Alpha’ is the sixth studio album from Sevendust, it was recorded in late 2006 and finally saw its official UK release in December 2007 complete with two previously unavailable bonus tracks. The album features a total of 14 tracks, it clocks in at just over 51 minutes in length and as hard as the band tries here the music just always sounds exactly the same. The bands music takes influence from the genre of hip-hop and this whole album sounds to be stuck in some sort of time warp; ‘Alpha’ could easily have been released at the height of nu-metal popularity in the mid-90s, it wasn’t though and as an album of 2007 it all just sounds incredibly dated.

This ‘Alpha’ album easily could have been released by Slipknot, the vocal performance here bears more than just a slight resemblance to that of Slipknot’s Corey Taylor; any Slipknot fan will however inform you that this is an incredibly poor imitation album from Sevendust. The band has been around now since 1992, spent a year on the Roadrunner Records label between the years of 2005 and 2006 and does absolutely nothing here to distinguish itself from any of the other rubbish that riddles the Roadrunner record label. This is an incredibly generic nu-metal album from Sevendust, the band does nothing here to separate itself from the crowd and instead the music created here is incredibly unoriginal and never does the sound surprise.

From first track ‘Deathstar’ through to closer ‘Abuse Me’ the bands music fails to make any sort of impression here, the album drones on and always the album lacks spark. I was once a huge fan of the whole nu-metal movement, that was many years ago now however and even back then I’m sure I’d have turned my nose up at this one. Even by nu-metal standards this album is not very good; the guitar riffs are incredibly formulaic, it’s as if the band read some sort of nu-metal manual here and set out to include every cliché possible on this album. As I’ve said before; the vocals copy Slipknot, and the instrumental performance also offers nothing that has not been done to death before. The band progresses its way through many a power riff here, the music attempts to offer alternative but all it ever provides is musical monotony.

If the band had released this album in the mid-90s then I’m sure that it would have wrongly shifted many a copy; it’s not very good at all though and is in fact a completely unoriginal album of nu-metal nonsense. From a band that has now released seven studio albums I was really expecting a lot more, the lack of imagination shown here really is incredibly disappointing and I’m sure that this band could have come up with a lot more had they just tried a little bit harder. Nu-metal is no longer cool, this sort of sound has for a long while now not been popular, and even if it was then a lot more would be expected of an album than this. ‘Alpha’ is a definite album to avoid, as much as this band wants to be Slipknot it’s not and this truly is a droning bore of an album from Sevendust.

Label: Asylum Records
Release Date: December 17th 2007

Rating:
Review Star