Vended : "s/t"

 If your dad was in Slipknot it would seem that the last thing you would want to sound like is Slipknot. Simon and Griffin have decided otherwise and the rest of the band is just thankful for nepotism. I am listening to the moments where they do not sound like Slipknot, as I would not be into any other band that sounded like Slipknot, something that kept me away from a band like Mushroomhead for years was based on the fact they wanted to be Slipknot in image alone, so am I going to let this slide? Fuck NO. The vocals at the end of 'The Far Side' allow a little of who they are apart from their parents to shine through. But you can go into any city and at least a dozen bands are doing this sort of thing,. 

The production is not doing any favors to keep from painting these kids into this corner. 'Am I the Only One' has me cursing the fact I have ten more songs like this to make it through. Their songwriting is better on "Nihilism", but they still sound too much like Slipknot, which might be a phrase you are going to get tired of reading. "Pitiful" keeps up the "Iowa" style pounding. They are good at achieving this sound,. but around here, just getting a sound can be dialed in with no creative energy invested. That is where the producer came into play. Lyrically this could be a Slipknot album as they are rating about things being shit, with clean vocals crooning with less hooky tendencies than his father. "Disparager" thrashes a little bit in the same way Slipknot's first album did. But most of you should already own that one. 

"Where Honesty Lies" works off the barked vocals, which are the more dominant focus, though he does not have as much emotion in them as his dad. The first guitar solo I notice is also on this song. Is "Ones" going to be the obligatory nu-metal ballad? But no it's just an interlude. Then it's back to the big dumb pounding of 'Downfall" It's dense but not hooky. The last song is more of an outro than an actual song. I will give this a 7 and it made it that high because they make the sounds well and have a few ideas of their own. 

pst456