Fuck The Facts – Desire Will Rot

Posted on August 26, 2015 by News Team

There’s something in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada’s water (or maybe it’s the Molson) that just lends itself to riff writing. Need proof? Fuck the Facts have just released their tenth studio album, Desire Will Rot (Noise Salvation). And that’s without counting all their previous EPs, compilations and like 4 billion splits. Eighteen years later and bastardized grindcore still lives.

And not only live, but slay as well. Age has not dulled the musical blade of Fuck the Facts as they spend the better part of 30 minutes hitting you with an endless volley of liver punches. Rippers like ‘Prey,’ ‘Everywhere Yet Nowhere’ and skull splitting ‘Solitude’ will beat you to the point of handing over any monetary possessions. It’s like a sonic cocktail containing an ounce of Trap Them, one part Napalm Death, and a dash of Ion Dissonance. Garnish said highball with some of the most ferocious vocals in the business courtesy of Mel Mongeon.

And while they can jackhammer beats with best of them, this Canadian brand of grindcore also allows for moments of breadth not unlike the mighty Pig Destroyer. ‘La Mort I’ and its immediate follow-up ‘La Mort II’ contain some rather neat lead guitar work that at times almost flirts with sounding progressive.

And much to my pleasant surprise the album ends with a series of slower jams starting with ‘False Hope’ which is all fury and flames in its initial two minutes only to give way to Eyehategod like waves of sludge. ‘Circle’ and ‘Nothing Changes’ continue to lengthen the running times and widen the sonic soundscape. Album closer ‘Nothing Changes’ is a particular highlight as it’s more in line with Serpentine Path or Converge at their slowest moments.

By the sounds of it, bastardized grindcore has a long life ahead of it. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to try some of that Molson.

9.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

Under the Surface – Underground Talent Spotlight

Posted on August 18, 2015 by News Team

Another month, another batch of unsigned and undiscovered bands from around the world. Our international trek for all things heavy has us starting in Manchester, England and then skipping over to France of all places for some black metal. We then move further North to Finland and Sweden before hopping south again to beautiful Berlin, Germany. Bring on forth the noise.

With a sound that would seem more at home in Jacksonville Florida, XII Boar call jolly old England home. It’s only fitting as England has produced artists of every styling ranging from grindcore to trip-hop, so why not some southern/stoner rock? And the great news is that XII Boar’s full length debut, Pitworthy, delivers the goods. Please know that this is not a reinvention of heavy rock by any of stretch of the imagination, but then again who can really pull that off today? However what is worth admiring here is the attention to detail. XII Boar is a power trio so bassist Adam “Bad Dog” Thomas isn’t buried in the mix while guitarist Tommy Hardrocks wails actually soulful solos on tracks like ‘Sharpshooter’ and ‘Pitworthy.’ There is a liveliness in XII Boar’s songwriting that isn’t prevalent in many of their American counterparts (cough, Wilson, cough). This sounds like they’re enjoying what they do as opposed to just going through the motions.

8.0/10

Next comes some of that nice real grim black metal from France. Les Limbes Pourpres / Mehxôhorr – Les IV Dimensions Cosmogoniques split EP from Fhoi Myore and Wyrms respectively is a no frills return to Norway’s major cultural export. And it certainly is a throwback down to harsh atmosphere and scant production values. So much so that the oppressive aura gets in the way of drummer Bress’ fancy stickwork as it sounds like he recorded his parts a room away from the microphones. Both Fhoi Myore’s contributions to the EP run a bit long at 12 and 9 minutes respectively, but you can’t deny that there’s enough riffs and ideas there to fill their own EP. Wyrms make sure to get their licks in with songs like ‘Wohrnnakx, Le Vide et La Matière’ (best of the EP) and ‘Yôehrhrr, La Conscience et La Mort.’ Working with shorter song lengths they turn every song into whirlwinds of violence and dynamics. Very impressive all around.

9.0/10

Going back to the stoner and hard rock stylings, Finland’s King of None go for a sound similar to XII Boar but lack the energy of their British counterparts. There are some truly inspired ideas on this self-titled EP, but the songwriting chops aren’t quite there yet. With the exception of nifty solos of ‘Highway Drivin’’ and ‘Queen Bee’ there’s nothing that stands out to distinguish these songs from bleeding into each other. ‘Red Dwarf’ deserves some credit as the best song here with it’s spaced out The Sword riffs. Closer ‘Deathrattle’ has one or two worthy licks, but just wanders around too long to get where it’s going. The ingredients are there, but it lacks execution.

5.0/10

You ever notice that the Swedes are almost too good when it comes to metal? Stockholm’s Colossus 2^nd LP, The Breathing World, only reaffirms that Sweden loves to rub in the world’s face how dominant they are in every aspect and subgenre of metal. For only being their sophomore full length these dudes have a very strong understanding of light and shade dynamics. Songs like ‘Fuga Mundi’ and ‘Yehi Aour/Wanderers’ make it apparent that young Swedish musicians have learned much from the mighty sounds of The Ocean and Gojira. They can also ratchet it up and conjure up some of that melodic death magic that their home country is known for on ‘Darkling Root.’ Hey, Sweden, how about you stop being the Ivan Drago of the extreme music world? You can tone down for awesomeness just a little bit.

9.0/10

Now we wrap things up by moving away from the volume and really turning up the ambiance. Here we have Of the Lines, the debut LP from Berlin’s Alice in the Cities who describe themselves as an act that plays “instrumental compositions for imaginary film scores.” And it’s not the bombast we’ve come to expect from the prevalent film composers currently occupying the Hollywood landscape. Stark minimalism is at play here and its music that encourages closing your eyes and imagining the world weary scenes. When opener ‘Odessa’ slows down it becomes something that wouldn’t be out of place on the 28 Days Later score. ‘Jaffa’ ends up sounding like the final piece of music in the world’s most dour road film. But while its somber tone takes center stage it doesn’t completely awash the record. It’s about finding beauty in even the most harsh of environments.

8.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

Neurosis – Sumac – Brothers of The Sonic Cloth: Live At The Paradise, Boston MA

Posted on August 12, 2015 by News Team

If I learned anything from spending my Saturday afternoon at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston it’s that silence can be crushingly heavy. That’s if coupled with the right music and atmosphere of course.

And there was music. And what wonderful music it was. Concrete like slabs of riffs and drums that slammed like vault doors. Unnerving electronics drowning in waves of feedback squeal. But between the noise and the fury, all four performers, Neurosis with support from Sumac, Brothers of the Sonic Cloth and The Body had nothing to say between their numbers. It was eerie, yet quite refreshing. I’ve been to too many metal and hardcore shows, so I’ve grown accustomed to frontmen demanding for circle pits or to throw the horns in the air. Not the case here. Just a whole lot of heavy.

The Body, by Hillarie Jason Photography

The Body took the stage first and set the mood with a sound that I can only describe as a future Eyehategod that travelled back in time to preach of the upcoming apocalypse. The only thing harsher than their cold electronic noises were the nihilistic shrieks let out by guitarist Chip King.

Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, by Hillarie Jason Photography

Seattle legend Tad Doyle (TAD, Hog Molly) was next with his newest musical endeavor, Brothers of the Sonic Cloth. Despite being involved in extreme music for close to 30 years, Doyle can still churn out Sabbath strength riffs in rippers like ‘La Mano Poderosa’ and ‘Unnamed.’ Interestingly, Brothers of the Sonic Cloth’s self-titled début (Neurot Recordings) was just released earlier this year, but they ended their set a new song not featured on that LP, ‘Magnetar.’ New music so quickly? No complaints from me.

Sumac, by Hillarie Jason Photography

I was very excited to get to see guitarist and vocalist Aaron Turner’s new and bone snapping project, Sumac, live as I am still mourning the passing of the mighty Isis (Boston band, not terrorist organization). While they may lack the melodic touches or musical finesse that Isis was displaying in their mid to late years, Sumac is as crushing live as they are on their debut The Deal LP (Profound Lore). Personal highlight was watching skinsman Nick Yacyshyn pound out the jazz freakout in the middle of ‘Hollow King.’ Bearded wonder Turner says he intends to keep Sumac going as a full time band. Let’s certainly hope he does.

Neurosis, by Hillarie Jason Photography

But for all the intensity and knee-buckling volume that the aforementioned bands brought, nothing was quite like watching Neurosis live. Few bands can make thrash and death metal sound quaint, but Neurosis is one of them. Eschewing their elaborate visual presentation of yore and going for a more spartan aesthetic, these rugged Oaklanders took the stage with no backdrop and sparse lighting. This after all was their most wide reaching tour in more than ten years, so the music was front and center. The set moved almost as an ocean ranging from the more passive sounds of set opener (and highly underrated) ‘A Sun that Never Sets’ and ‘My Heart For Deliverance’ to the earth rattling bits like ‘The Doorway’ and ‘Times of Grace.’ While they covered a wide selection of their discography, tracks from early Neurosis standards Souls at Zero and Enemy of the Sun were unfortunately absent.

Neurosis, by Hillarie Jason Photography

And just when you thought you had reached the zenith of heavy music, Neurosis closed with the song. The title track. I think you know this one. A certain little song called ‘Through Silver in Blood.’ If you’re like me then you’ve heard this song about 4 million times in your room or car, but live is a different animal. As soon as the opening sample kicks in you will feel something otherworldly seize your spine and it won’t let go until the final pounding tribal rhythms. The audience was in a full trance. And as soon as it ended they walked off the stage with nothing to say. Musical bliss finally had been achieved.

Neurosis, by Hillarie Jason Photography

It may have possibly been the heaviest show I have ever been too, but at the same time it didn’t necessarily feel like one. I now learned that I could live without some obnoxious frontman shouting to mask his insecurities. If your band is truly heavy then don’t say a word. We’ll know how extreme you are by the silence and the storm that follows it.

Neurosis, by Hillarie Jason Photography

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WORDS BY HANSEL LOPEZ

PHOTOS BY HILLARIE JASON PHOTOGRAPHY

Fear Factory – Genexus

Posted on August 6, 2015 by News Team

Reviewing a new Fear Factory album in 2015 is like purchasing the Blu-Ray edition of a film you already own on DVD. It’s a good movie and it’s all shiny and high-definition like, but overall there’s no substantial surprises. A new commentary track and special features (or in this analogy, lyrics) are nice perks.

Long story short, there’s not a whole lot of deviation. In that regard Fear Factory’s Genexus (Nuclear Blast) is similar enough to the last review I penned, Kataklysm’s Of Ghosts and Gods. Sure, they’re both new albums, but do you really expect (or want) a dramatic stylistic change from these extreme metal institutions?

All the core Fear Factory components that made 2010s Mechanize and 2012s The Industrialist memorable are back. Vocalist Burton C. Bell and guitarist/bassist Dino Cazares are still playing nice while under the guidance of longtime collaborator and producer Rhys Fulber. Two of the songs feature Blade Runner samples so yeah, the man grappling against artificial intelligence theme is present again. Really, the biggest or only variations to be found here are a return to live drumming (a strong performance from Mike Heller) and the record label.

If you’ve had the pleasure of listening to Demanufacture or Obsolete you’re gonna hit the ground running on this outing. Seriously, like those two landmarks we open with some industrial samples/noises that lead into a jack hammer of a song and 40 minutes or so later the album is bookended by a sweeping and melodic closer (this time in the form of the excellent ‘Expiration Date’).

And that’s a good thing. Very good if you’re into this sort of metallic business. But wait, there’s more. In between the covers you also get slabs of brutal groove like ‘Anodized’ and ‘Soul Hacker.’ It’s all the downtuned 7-string chug coupled with machine-gun fire kick drums your little mechanical heart desires. And despite being in this racket for 25+ years, Bell still can do the bark and croon thing better than most.

Photo Credit: Kevin Estrada

Although if they’re going to keep moving forward with the “cybermetal” sound (or whatever Fear Factory refer to themselves these days) I’d like to see it with the full classic lineup. That means bringing bassist Christian Olde Wolbers and skinsman Raymond Herrera out of exile. They were there for the Demanufacture and Obsolete days, they should be here for the resurgence.

8.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

Kataklysm – Of Ghosts And Gods

Posted on July 31, 2015 by News Team

Not that it really needs to be stated, but they’re not reinventing the wheel here.

And with a career dating back to 1991, no one really is expecting Montreal, Canada’s Kataklysm to go pop-punk or try space-rock on their 12^th studio release, Of Ghosts and Gods (Nuclear Blast). Instead, what you have here is Maurizio Iacono leading his death metal bruisers through 10 crushing, if conventional tracks.

Hey, it’s not like Fear Factory or Obituary flip the script on its listeners on a consistent basis either. What we have here are numbers that either fall under melodic death or more standard groove metal. Ultimately you do get your blast beats and searing guitar work. Seems to me that’s what lots of death metal fans are looking for anyways.

On the melodic front it seems like At the Gates’ At War with Reality was an influence in the writer’s room. In terms of song structure and pace, album opener ‘Breaching the Asylum’ and ‘Thy Serpents Tongue’ have strong connections to that Swedish landmark.

I can really get behind the groove of ‘Shattered’ and ‘The Black Sheep.’ Truth be told, those are probably the strongest moments on the album. ‘Hate Spirit’ (even if it’s opening may recall The Black Dahlia Murder), finds its strength in groove again and Stephane Barbe’s rubbery bass lines.

Unfortunately, ‘The World is a Dying Insect’ fumbles both the groove and melodic thing with its uninspired riffs and 6 minute running time. Final song hiccup aside, Of Ghosts and Gods is not a bad listen. Kataklysm fans will find no reason to turn their backs on this Canadian institution. No one is demanding a new sound as much as a more polished version of it. And as I stated earlier, Obituary and Fear Factory are also playing the same songs over and over, but they sure do know how to play those songs.

6.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

Under The Surface: Underground Bands Spotlight Volume 3

Posted on July 22, 2015 by News Team

This month’s Under the Surface has us traveling from the familiar trappings of Manchester, New Hampshire all the way to London, Scandinavia and the heart of Southeast Asia. The mission as always is the pursuit of the latest and greatest in unsigned or undiscovered heavy music.

I start not too far from home, with New Hampshire’s At the Heart of It. The challenge, particularly in the New England area, is finding a way to stand out in a crowded hardcore scene. You can’t swing a dead cat in Boston without hitting 14 bands cannibalizing each other’s sound. With their self-titled EP, At the Heart of It found a way to stand out. And the here’s the catch what helps separate them is not their aggression, but the more quiet moments like in ‘Create/Sustain’ and ‘This World Has Teeth.’ The vocals are so pained that I just want to buy the band a cup of coffee and tell them that things will get better soon. But not too soon, I’m really digging this sound. 8.0/10

Next is Abodean Skye and their new LP Echoes of an Astral Empire. This UK trio are the type of band that gladly remind you that it’s hip to be square as proven by singing that would make Geoff Tate, soaring melodies and keyboard runs that wouldn’t feel out of place in a vintage Final Fantasy game. Then you have song titles like ‘Battle of Tears’ and ‘Return of the Fleet.” And that kind of nerd cred isn’t a knock, either. Echoes is a very fun album, particularly if you have a sweet tooth for histrionics and bands like the underrated Cellador.

Sure at 55 minutes it can feel a bit lengthy, but it seems like epic was the MO here. And while on the subject of epic, I would’ve liked the production to have a little more pop to it. The mix here is serviceable, but the compositions could’ve used a little more energy to them. It’s a quest worth venturing. 7.0/10

Keeping with that same nerd enthusiasm is Helsinki, Finland’s Tulitera. Seriously, that cover art is probably the geekiest thing I’ve ever seen and I collect Batman comics. But this instrumental collective is so much more than their art suggests. Move past Tulikaste’s crude sword illustrations and you will find a very sophisticated and ambitious sound. Fans of Tesseract will feel right at home with songs like ‘Voidborn’ and ‘Firedew’ has sweeping synths that sound like something that Vangelis forgot to use in Blade Runner. And while ‘Firedew’ is one the album’s highlights it illustrates that much like Abodean Skye, Tulitera let the songs run for a little longer than expected. Case in point, ‘Percolator’ feels less like an introduction and more like 3 minutes of nothing.

And I can already hear you shouting “but Hans, this progressive metal, it’s supposed to have longer songs.” Yes and no. If the riffs are there then go for that 14 minute Between the Buried and Me musical freakout. If not, then trim it and get your point across a lot faster. But given that this is a debut LP it’s a flaw that can be overlooked. 8.0/10

And since we’re on the subject of longer songs why not talk about the Burning Water split EP between Philipino sludge acts Death After Birth and Surrogate Prey. How do I put this? One of these bands has a promising future and other does not. I take it they haven’t been around long, but Death After Birth really shit the bed with their half of the recording. They slog by checking off all the traditional doom and sludge checkboxes with a sound that only can be described as basement quality. It’s like Crowbar, but without the riffs or Kirk Windstein or the great guitar tone. However, Surrogate Prey sound like they know a thing or two about playing low and slow. ‘Crevianitus’ is soul crushingly heavy and memorable and ‘Banquet of the Beasts’ has a breakdown the size of Alaska. Surrogate Prey save the day here. 6.0/10

And to wrap things up we have another split EP, Irk | Wren, featuring the British talents of Irk and Wren respectively. Irk storms out of the gate with a brand of noise highly reminiscent of fellow Brits, Fudge Tunnel and a vocal delivery that sounds like Jonathan Davis on Quaaludes. And tracks like ‘You Sound Like my Ex-Wife’ and ‘Cibo Per Gattini’ are some of the rare and very awesome instances where the bass is more prominent than the guitar. As good as Irk is, Wren steal the show with some of the heaviest post-metal goodness since Isis. If you’re still heartbroken over their breakup then Wren are more than willing to fill in that blank space in your life. Forget an EP, after listening to the atom smashing closer that is ‘An Approach’ I need a double LP. 9.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

Refused – Freedom

Posted on July 1, 2015 by News Team

The hotly contested reunion or comeback album. Purists will bitch and list off 40 million reasons why a band should never re-enter the studio after calling it quits. They’ll tarnish their legacy. They can never re-achieve past glories. They’re too old. They’re not the same band anymore.

The list never ends.

And in a way, those points have some merits. After all it has been 17 years since Refused put out the revolutionary The Shape of Punk to Come. A recording that is universally considered classic and difficult to categorize. And shortly after the release of that record, the band imploded capped it off with a fiery press release stating “Refused are Fucking Dead.”

As new album Freedom (Epitaph) clearly points out, they were not fucking dead. After a series of reunion shows in 2012 and 2014, frontman Dennis Lyxzen, guitarist Kristofer Steen, drummer David Sandstrom and bassist Magnus Flagge still had some of that future punk left in them. Best of all, is that much like Carcass in 2013 and At the Gates last year, Refused sound as good and confident as they did in their 90s heyday.

Lead single ‘Elektra’ probably states it best: “Time has come, no escape.” It indeed is time for Refused’s left-of-center brand of noise. America at least, seems to be in an odd state of regression. We count corporations as people and have segments of the population that see the Confederate flag as “heritage”, and view same-sex marriage as a threat to their religious freedom. That’s without counting those denying global warming or the anti-vaccination movement.

And to show their discontent with the state of affairs, Refused keep the vitriol and attitude going in other punk scorchers like ‘Dawkins Christ’ and ‘Thought is Blood.’ And when they choose to turn down the assault it’s with tracks like ‘Old Friends/New War’ that while not as a raucous still keep a sharp edge as Lyxzen finds that “there’s no other choice but to create some noise and sharpen up my mind.” And we’re glad that you’re up to your old tricks.

Also, much like in The Shape of Punk to Come, these Swedes find room for eccentricity in Freedom. In the liner notes you’ll notice that both ‘Elektra’ and ‘366’ were produced by Shellback, the hitmaker known for his work with Adele and Taylor Swift. Once again proving that they are the most punk by following their muse rather than convention.

We need more records like Freedom. We need them because they remind us that certain genres are supposed to be the dangerous ones. I’m disgusted by the fact that the punk bands that prevail today happen to fall under the abomination known as “Pop-Punk.” A musical oxymoron whose practitioners are perfectly content to play arenas and extol the virtues of eating pizza and wearing fitted hats.

It’s nice to see that some are still choosing to live dangerously.

Refused, by Dustin Rabin Photography

9.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

Straight Line Stitch – Transparency EP

Posted on June 30, 2015 by News Team

After their 2011 album, The Fight of Our Lives, it seemed like Knoxville, Tennessee’s Straight Line Stitch were on to a brighter future. They had a record deal with eOne and a slot on 2011’s Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival alongside acts like Machine Head, Suicide Silence and Unearth. Most metal bands would agree that that’s a sweet launching pad.

And then the momentum slowed a bit. Multiple lineup changes came and went with vocalist Alexis Brown being the sole mainstay. But in their defense, Straight Line Stitch are still in the hustle. They have a new EP, Transparency (Pavement Entertainment), and as of this writing are hitting the road with Ill Niño for the Civil Unrest Tour.

The good news is that Transparency will not disappoint longtime followers of Straight Line Stitch. From a production standpoint it sounds crisp and clear. Musically it checks off all the metalcore genre boxes.

This is good for the faithful, but for the rest of us it leaves a bit to be desired.

Songs like ‘Dark Matter’ and ‘Wilderness’ have an In Flames circa Come Clarity crunch to them that I enjoyed, but most of the time they’re drawing from the same well. While not a boring release, it’s not great when you have a 22 minute running time and most of it just blurs together.

However the strong suit here are Brown’s vocal talents, particularly ‘Out of Body’ and ‘Human Bondage’ providing a great showcase for her pipes. We’ve had metalcore belters attempt the melodic hook thing since (what seems) like the dawn of time. Folks like Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall have had much success with this approach. While others (Atreyu, All That Remains, Today is the Day, et al) not so much. Brown’s natural singing voice belongs with the former, it’s just a matter of her band providing some diversity in their compositions.

If they can do that, then they’re well on their way to reclaiming their blue chip prospect status in the metal hierarchy.

7.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

Wilson – Right To Rise

Posted on June 29, 2015 by News Team

It’s a chilly Sunday morning and I’m in good spirits. I got to sleep in a bit and no hangover in sight. Proper setting for some productive writing. Enter Detroit, Michigan’s Wilson and their sophomore recording, Right to Rise (Razor & Tie).

At first listen you can expect to think that this album is a parody of the muzak currently branding rock radio unlistenable. Lyrically this is the world’s greatest collection of Hard Rock clichés and buzzwords. Some select examples to illustrate my point: “Gasoline pumping through our veins.” “All my friends are dead,” “Can you satisfy me?” “Motor City,” “Right to rise!” What the hell does “Right to Rise” mean, anyways?

But to complement those wonderful nuggets of insight, the playing on Right to Rise makes Hellyeah sound like Rush in comparison. Slab after slab of midtempo rock pounds your brain into submission. And that is not to be mistaken as praise. ‘Windows Down!’ and ‘All My Friends’ are truly the work of a collective that thoroughly enjoys the Jagermeister, pot and tits that come with stardom, but only put forward the most minimal of efforts to reach those perks. Right to Rise belongs in a Dadrock starter pack alongside a pre-owned Corvette, gaudy Affliction clothing and Just for Men Mustache & Beard dye.

And I gave Wilson a fair shake. I spent a good portion of my Sunday re-listening to Right to Rise. Default angry track ‘All My Friends’ comes close to passable as it recalls Godsmack in their more relevant days. ‘The Flood’ has a Billy Squier vibe to it, so that’s gotta mean something, right? Late in the second half of the album ‘I Am the Fly’ and ‘Give ‘Em Hell’ attempt to break up the monotony by throwing in short guitar solos and leads sporadically.

I get it. Your shtick is “Full Blast Fuckery” (again, whatever the hell that means) and living the rock & roll lifestyle. That being said, why are you so opposed to using some of the most basic rock songwriting tools? You know like, dynamics, solos or memorable melodies.

So there you have it. The soundtrack to the Guy Fieri revolution. Full throttle!

2.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

Third Eye Blind – Dopamine

Posted on June 24, 2015 by News Team

Consistency can be admirable. So in that respect I can tilt my hat to Third Eye Blind who after 22 years and 5 albums still sound, well, uh, like Third Eye Blind. What that means is exclusively up to you.

It’s not like you needed that that shocking spoiler in the first paragraph. At this stage of the game, I don’t think anyone is expecting for Dopamine (Mega Collider) to rewrite the Third Eye Blind playbook. Main songwriter and frontman Stephen Jenkins continues to follow his muse and compose tunes about past relationships and substance abuse in that mildly 90s post-grunge style with just a dash of mild balladry.

And it’s probably with the more ballad leaning songs where Dopamine feels the dullest. ‘All the Souls’ is just straight up saccharine sweetness and empty calories. While ‘Blade’ never gets around to going anywhere. And hey, it’s cool. Public demand doesn’t seem particularly high for another ‘Jumper.’

On the more ambitious and experimental numbers like ‘Everything is Easy’ and ‘Exile’ is that Jenkins and his cohorts start to come alive most alive. The keyboards and atmospherics add fresh dynamics to the material. However it’s about showing restraint as well. The Queen-like ‘Get Me out of Here’ quickly gets way too awash in corniness and bombast for anyone to approach with a straight face.

And for those who prefer the Third Eye Blind sound from the Clinton/America Online era, ‘Rites of Passage’ feels like it would be right at home on their 1996 eponymous debut.

Although a little too long at 47 minutes, Dopamine, for the most part is a respectable slab of radio rock for fans of similar fare like OneRepublic or Imagine Dragons. Sure to musical elitists that’s more insult than compliment, but like I said before: what that means is entirely up to you.

6.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

Ghost Cult Magazine

Music News, Interviews and Reviews that matter.

Tag Archives: Hansel Lopez

Fuck The Facts – Desire Will Rot

Under the Surface – Underground Talent Spotlight

Neurosis – Sumac – Brothers of The Sonic Cloth: Live At The Paradise, Boston MA

Fear Factory – Genexus

Kataklysm – Of Ghosts And Gods

Under The Surface: Underground Bands Spotlight Volume 3

Refused – Freedom

Straight Line Stitch – Transparency EP

Wilson – Right To Rise

Third Eye Blind – Dopamine