Dust to Dust
Sanctuary/BMG
Now, Dust to Dust, on the other hand, is quite a bit more interesting. Deep, dark, heavy guitar grooves with Pete Steele-like vocals from Rob Traynor (who also did an excellent job producing this 12-song disc) are highlighted alongside semi-industrial riffs. Tracks such as the opener "Mr. Doe" and "New Low" display a catchy chorus atop haunting rhythms and swirling grooves while tracks like "Submission" and "Supadope" show hints of Nine Inch Nails. The tranquil track "Pottersfield" is yet another standout, with a great melody showing traces of The Cult. Dust to Dust is definitely worth checking out.
LIFER
Lifer
Republic/Universal
I was surprised to discover that Rush guitar guru Alex Lifeson produced Lifer's debut CD. The album has it's share of satisfactory tunes, like the opening two tracks "My Room" and "Ugly," but from there on out, the tracks that follow are your average rap-metal, angst-ridden numbers. Vocalist Nick Coyle has a soulful voice at times, which, unfortunately, is overshadowed by either his constant crooning or rapping. Other tracks such as "Parade" and "Heave" are not bad, but nothing you haven't heard a hundred times before. Fortunately the musicianship is above average for this genre of nu-metal, which somewhat makes up for the lack of originality. The problem I have with Lifer is the fact that their sound is too processed - sounding as if they were forced to write music compatible to today's metal sound. Something very typical of the major labels new signings. It'll be interesting to see what the future holds for Lifer.
Shockwaves CD Reviews Issue 5 Page 6