Early on there's every indication that this is one that'll peel out
right off the plastic it was recorded on though we haven't quite kicked
it into high gear just yet. Heavy rumble and revving aplenty kinda like
winding out the tach while still in second gear to begin things here,
and "Stay," harbors no ill feelings toward the decade and a half passed,
utilizing the melodic and fair weather attributes that personified the
commercially successfully arena rockers of the eighties with some
seriously ground '90s style guitar riffs to give 'em that little extra
edginess.
"Beautiful and Useless" takes up in similar fashion, more
pronounced riffing from the onset, firing up the reverb and going an
extra mile with the vocal support… this is where quick comparisons could
be drawn to some of the better though upended acts of the past who
carried themselves with a bit more soul but were often overlooked-Kik
Tracee, The Scream, Babylon A.D…. you know the types.
"Alive" is a bit
of a downshift, not in intensity however, while "You" is a bottom-heavy
and catchy track suitable for radio play back in the day and here, adds
a bit of color to an overall "in the mud" type mix.
So we've got a band
here that surprisingly got their wings only a few years ago and seems to
have made some pretty good strides in the short time. They never quite
kick into high gear, though what's in a name, the strengths in the
almighty riff and here's where they impress -- very guitar heavy, full-on
and simple, "Activator's" a throw back to the more conscientious days of
playing while achieving a sonic intensity more befitting of later
times -- altogether a nice mix and one that'll push 'em further in the
future, the last song "Stranger" notwithstanding, a very murky, flat and
nowhere fast type track that pales with the rest.
