MARY AND THE BOY
S/T
(Low Impedance)

QUEEN ELEPHANTINE
Surya
(Self-Released)

KEN MODE
Reprisal
(Escape Artist)

SHELLSHAG
Destroy Me I'm Yours
(Starcleaner)

THINE EYES BLEED
S/T
(The End)

GREY DATURAS
Return to Disruption 

(Neurot)

GOD'S REVOLVER
Little Black Horse Where Are

You Going With Your Dead 
River

(Exigent)

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There is always a problem you know. No matter what you do or where you go. No matter what a perfectionist  you are, and how much time you spend polishing the edges, making sure the quality control phase is implemented, there is always a problem. If not at first sight, then upon closer inspection or with the passing of time deficiencies become evident. Problems have their way to come to the surface, like bloated corpse in the Hudson river. Or like in the case of this Southern rock influenced hard edged rock combo; bands usually have a weak element. Some can disguise them through gimmicks or enough studio time to dish out an unreal sounding album while others are not so lucky. It just sucks big time when that weak link/problem is the vocalist, because how do you masquerade a voice? You can get away if you are a punk band. Or even a metal band? But what do you do when you are not necessarily a bad singer, simply one that can sing but who’s got the misfortune to have a bad voice.

And I hate to sound like I am pointing fingers but vocalist Reid Rouse sounds like Glen Danzig without the Elvis impersonator angle. Unlike Danzig, who had an incredible backing band, Rouse is not fronting The Misfits, therefore he’s expected to deliver to the standards of his band. It’s a shame, because Rouse has strong deep pipes, but he sounds dull like a butter knife. And Rouse seems to puts so much feeling into the music one could be prone to think he is a droid. The rest of the band rocks properly; some blues based tunes here, some fast tempo low grade hardcore stompers there. God’s Revolver, the backing band, is nothing especial but they are still far ahead of Rouse.  

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