3 out of 5 Stars!

This was a tough one to rate.  On one hand, the music is pretty good, probably worthy of a “3.5 – 4” rating, with some fairly decent musicianship and several memorable riffs on many of the tracks.  Nothing truly innovative, generally, but nothing too shabby either.

On the other hand, however, the vocals are questionable, hovering around the “2” rating zone, with the singer always “thisclose” to completely marring things up by his “almost off-key” tonal quality. It’s too bad, since the vocal melodies themselves aren’t too shabby, but the singer’s delivery leaves you on the edge of your seat, waiting for his voice to drift off the correct notes.  I’ve heard worse singers for certain, and I suppose many people won’t find him as annoying as I do, but for a band with so much potential, the sins of the vocalist are completely unforgivable.

Additionally, the overall production could use some improvement, since the general sound is rather flat in places, especially when it comes to the drums, and sometimes guitar solos pop out a bit louder in the mix than they should, which can be a tad jarring.

So, an average rating is what I ended up giving this release. Were the band to locate a more capable, sure-footed vocalist, and keep progressing down this road where it comes to their song-writing skills, they have the potential for greatness.