* ORIGINALLY FEATURED IN SCRAWLSHOP ZINE NEW SKOOL CHUGGING METAL. THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE THIS BAND. A VIRTUALLY UNKNOWN GROUP, I HAPPENED TO CHANCE UPON THEM ON THIS INDIE RECORD STORE. AMUSED WITH THE OBVIOUSLY METAL PACKAGING, I CHECKED IT OUT ON THE LISTENING BOOTH AND I WAS AMAZED!! THIS IS ONE TIGHT 4-PIECE UNIT.

THE ALBUM STARTS WITH THE HEAVY ASS "CRESCENT DRAGGIN WAGON" THAT GETS THE GROOVE ROLLIN' ALL THE WAY TO THE LAST SONG "RIVER OF SADNESS".

THE GUITAR SOUND IS VERY TIGHT AND THICK WITH A CLEAR OVER ALL PRODUCTION. MOST OF THE SONGS ARE ON THE MID-PACED RANGE WITH VERY CHUGGING, GROOVY BEATS AND RHYTHMS WITH A VERY LITTLE HINT OF KORN. MARK LAUER'S VOICE IS EXCEPTIONALLY EMOTIONAL VARYING FROM CLEAN TO SEMI-GRUFF VOCALS. HE DOESN'T COME ACROSS AS GOOD ON THE ROUGH VOCAL TRACKS WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF HE'D GIVEN THEM MORE AGGRESSION. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE SLOW EMOTIONAL PARTS, HIS CLEAN VOICE SHINES WITH FINESSE AND TOTAL CONVICTION.

ALSO, THE CD COMES WITH KOOL CD-ROM CAPABILITIES WHERE YOU CAN VIEW A COUPLE OF VIDEOS, LISTEN TO THE SONGS WHILE READING THE LYRICS OR VIEW A SCREENSAVER, CHECK OUT SOME SLIDESHOW PICTURES AND AUTOMATIC CONNECTION TO THE 911 RECORDS WEBSITE IF YOU ARE CONNECTED TO THE WEB. TRULY A DIFFERENT MUSICAL AND VISUAL EXPERIENCE.

WHY THE BAND IS HAS NOT ACCLAIMED CRITICAL ACCLAIM [NOTING THAT THIS IS A 1997 RELEASE] IS BEYOND ME. THE SONGS HERE ARE VERY MATURE AND THOROUGHLY CRAFTED. I COULDN'T SEE WHERE THEY WENT WRONG. I THINK IT'S THE FAULT OF THE LABEL, NOT GIVING THEM THE PUSH AND PUBLICITY THEY NEED AND DESERVE. IF YOU ARE INTO THIS KIND OF MUSIC WHICH WILL BLOW AWAY MOST OF THE CURRENT TRENDY HIP-HOP METAL CRAP OUT THERE, THEN I SUGGEST YOU HUNT THIS DOWN OR ORDER IT QUICK!!

This review is credited to:
DEATHCRAYON