Metal is not a genre I generally indulge in when it comes to music.
However, something about this band intrigued me and I wanted to give it a
listen. I'm damn glad I did because it is a great record.

The Clay People have been around since 1989, and working hard to break out beyond the confines of their hometown, Albany, NY.  The band has been through several lineup changes over the past 9 years.  Dan Neet (vocals) and Brian McGarvey (guitar) are the two founding members, and they have added Dan Dinsmore on drums, Mike Guzzardi on guitar and Dan Walsh on bass to create the sound that makes this record come together.

This release is their 5th, and it seems like this may be the one that takes
them out into the limelight.  Their previous albums featured more of a
techno/industrial type of beat. With this new album they wanted a more
organic type sound.  Neet says "On the new record we ultimately wanted to achieve this vision of no boundaries, letting the music come together on its own, as opposed to writing within a rigid structure."  I think they've hit
upon a method that works.

The first single from the new record is also the first track - "Awake."
This song just attacks your senses and jolts you into the music from the
get-go.  The beat is incredibly intoxicating and I found myself playing this
track again and again.  The guitar riffs just drive right through you, and there is a kind of synthesizer beat that begins the song, and continues throughout, bringing it all together and holding onto you and shaking you into an awareness of things to come.  I couldn't wait for the next song.

"Plug" is the next song and it starts off with a great drum beat that keeps
the music flowing. The music is interesting as it goes from a slow, steady beat, progressing into a hard-edged sound that then heads into a rhythmic guitar riff and interesting vocal effects.  It sounds a lot like the voices are
just surrounding you.  There are so many instrumental layers to this song
that I really think you need to give it several listens to appreciate it.

"Mechanized Mind" was the next song on the CD to really grab a hold of me. Once again, it starts off establishing a cadence with the drums and a kind of synthesized voice sound. Then it bursts out into the vocals with the music building up into the chorus.  The end result is an intensity that takes you through this incredible song, and leaves you wanting more.

The record goes along and then you come to "Fade Away," which I found a bit more laid back musically.  It starts off with a more subtle rhythm and is almost a chance to catch your breath.  The guitar starts off and then Neet begins singing in one of the most vocally appealing songs on the record.  Up to this point he kind of yells the lyrics with a ferocity that is almost scary, but on this song, he really hits upon something wonderful.  The lyrics aren't happy or uplifting, but none of the songs are on this record. Until I heard this song, I didn't care for Neet's voice and really was enjoying the songs in spite of the vocals.  This song made me change my mind. Overall, I'd have to say that the music is what appealed to me most of all on this record. The lyrics are a bit on the dark and depressing side, and although I'm not a "sunshine and lollipop" type of person, I'm not much into doom and gloom.  I can admit that sometimes I ignore the lyrics when the music grabs me.  That was pretty much the case here.  There was an appeal to the lyrics, just not for me.

All things considered, this record is fantastic.  If you're looking for
happy, optimistic music this isn't the one for you.  Then again, if that's
what you want, you're not likely to be looking at metal bands for that.  I'm glad that I took a chance on this band.  I think they have an intensity that will get even better as time marches on.  Pick this one up.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.