* ORIGINALLY FEATURED IN SCRAWLSHOP ZINE

A VERY PROFESSIONAL LOOKING CD FROM THIS AUSTIN, TEXAS BAND. COMPLETE WITH STILL AND LIVE PHOTOS, CREDITS AND A TRANSPARENT CD HOLDER. IT WAS SELF-FINANCED BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS RELEASED BY A BIG RECORD LABEL. I GOT THIS FROM GUITARIST JASON FRANKHOUSER, WHO ALSO MIXED 6 TRACKS AND MASTERED THE WHOLE ALBUM.

MUSICALLY, HUMAN (TAKEN FROM THE DEATH ALBUM OF THE SAME NAME) IS A POWER-GROOVE/HC BAND. WITH SOME ELEMENTS FROM THE OLD SKOOL AS WELL. THE BAND IS TIGHT WITH ITS HEAVY GROOVE LADEN SONGS WHICH WILL SURELY GET YOU MOSHING OR JIVIN' IN NO TIME. HUMAN IS DIFFERENT AMONGST THE SLEW OF NEW BREED METAL BANDS IN AMERICA RIGHT NOW. QUITE SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY KNOW HOW TO PLAY THEIR INSTRUMENTS. AND THEY DO IT WELL. THE RIFFS AND SOLOS (SOMETHING YOU RARELY HEAR NOWADAYS) ARE TECHNICAL SO THEY KEEP THE LISTENERS ON THEIR FEET. I PARTICULARLY LOVE THE RIFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SONG "POL POT'S PLEA". ONE OF THE BEST RIFFS I HAVE HEARD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.

THE FIRST HALF OF THE CD IS CERTAINLY THE BETTER ONE, AS WELL AS THE LAST FEW SONGS. ONE DOWNSIDE THOUGH IS THE VOCALS. THEY ARE MELODIC AND DIVERSE BUT I DIDN'T QUITE LIKE KERRY MOSSERS' VOX BECAUSE I FEEL HE COULD HAVE GIVEN MUCH MORE POWER AND CONVICTION TO HIS DELIVERY. HOWEVER, IT DOESN'T STOP YOU FROM ENJOYING THE ALBUM AND THE SONGS. HUMAN IS CERTAINLY A BAND TO WATCH OUT FOR. YOU CAN CONTACT THEM THROUGH humancore@hotmail.com OR VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AT www.capitol-city.com/HUMAN/core.html

This review is credited to:
DEATHCRAYON