The band's look is wanna-be Goth, the band's sound, at first, struck me as wanna-be Soundgarden, and in spite of all that, I came away thinking that "Virgos Merlot's" debut album, "Signs of a Vacant Soul," isn't half bad.

Despite that initial impression, to dismiss Virgos Merlot as grunge wouldn't be totally accurate. There is, definitely, a bit of the Seattle sound in their music, but mixed in with that is an aura of industrial noise, a shade of NIN or Ministry pepping up their sound. The basic song on "Signs of a Vacant Soul" is constructed around two main elements -- big, catchy guitar hooks and a rumbling bass groove. While that description (if used kindly) could be attached to half the pop/rock bands making the rounds these days, the Merlot boys pull it off with a certain flair.

Maybe it's that goth, vampiric look they affect on their publicity pictures and on stage, where they wear the type of contact lenses that make the pupils appear as pinpoints, along with startling make-up and various piercings. There's a bit of discord between the look and Brent Hestla's generic late-90s rock singer voice; while the voice certainly doesn't stand out like the look, it is adequate, and provides a counterpoint for Chris Dickerson's often snarling bass.

Lyrically, the band takes on an introspective character that treads the line between self-helpful and self-depressing. On the opening track (and current radio single), "The Cycle," the protagonist seems to have some great secret he wants to let out, but instead of divulging the information, he keeps building up new excuses to hold back, "All I have it stays mine/Locked up like a vault/Keeping some great secret/That no one wants to learn/All of this is none of your concern." Muted drums overlaid by an echoing, effect laden guitar line courtesy of the Deacon Ted Ledbetter gives the listener his or her first taste of "Virgos Merlot." That sound weaves in and out of the remainder of the song.

"Winning" brings out a R&B groove for the majority of the song, giving way to a sparse, tight chorus, "I know you think you're winning/but I was just beginning/so/Take your simple living/and your trouble giving/go."

With "Gain," the first single released to radio, the band takes on a purely generic pop/rock persona, not unlike the "Goo Goo Dolls" or fellow southern modern rockers, "Fuel." It along with "Kiss my Disease" show "Virgos Merlot" at their most generic, with the latter being easily my least favorite song on "Signs of A Vacant Soul." It's also my pick for the biggest hit single from the album, if ever they release it to the radio public.

On the good side of the ledger are songs like "Knowing Burns" and "Beautiful Lie." The first of these reminds me, of all things, of "Dogman"-era "King's X." Maybe it's Dickerson's bass reminding me of Doug Pinnick bass tone, or Hestla's vocals which just scream out for Ty Tabor's harmonies to back it up, but it's my favorite song on the disc. "Beautiful Lie succeeds from another direction. The longest song on the disc at 5 minutes, it allow Ledbetter, Dickerson, and second guitarist Marchant to really go to town on a vaguely Middle Eastern sounding theme. Once again, the sparse arrangement packs plenty of impact into each noise, at least until Ledbetter fires up the effects gadgets, and then the tune is filled with eerie, interesting noises. The song might have been better off left as an instrumental, but the story of misplaced trust holds its own, "The things they always told you/The things they tried to sell/You know they have created/Your own personal hell/It's a Beautiful Lie."

"Virgos Merlot" may not win any awards for great originality, but they do weave their influences together well enough to create an engaging debut. These guys may be worth looking out for in the future.