So the crossroads of industrial and nu-metal is a well-traveled road, so when a band like Amerakin Overdose shows up they have a great deal to prove, and just wearing masks and having a look or brand doesn't cut it. In fact, I try to detach music from that sort of gimmick. Slipknot's music typically stands up even if they were just wearing their street clothes But then if they were wearing street clothes these days there is not much to separate them from Stone Sour. This band flirts with sounds somewhere between Mushroomhead and Rob Zombie. The sung vocals give them more personality. They attempt hooks and sometimes those work better than others times, "Toxic" being catchier and more nuanced than the previous song.
When they stomp into the double bass hammering of the title track it's clear that Slipknot is a huge influence even if you did not already know these guys were wearing masks. The chorus hook is pretty decent it reminds me of Fear Factory or Flaw. "I Am" is more radio-friendly even with the palm muted tension and more rapped vocal sections. Is it the most original thing out there? No. Are there kids out there this will appeal to? Yes. "Agastopia" makes an effort to be anthemic for those kids. Having a song called 'Bleed' seems redundant. The riffs are intentional and vocals are not an afterthought so these at least have their circus together. "the Gray" is one of those nu-metal power ballads, that would like to be Linkin Park or A Perfect Circle. It sounds a little too familiar.
"Neurostatic" reversed the formula by using more screamed vocals on what would be the chorus and the refrain going back into the verse is more melodic. They do shine through the formula in places to marginally show more of their own identity here. I think my main complaint is for a genre that works off being darker and more emotional this does not feel all that dark, which is the vibe I got from Linkin Park, what they do on "Disconnect" only furthers the Linkin Park comparisons. The aggressive synths to "Muevete" bring this song the closest to industrial. Things are too happy on the last song that almost sounds more like Blink 182. I will give this album an 8, as the guys are certainly capable of making cool music, but it could be more original, and some of the parts are not for me.
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