DROID

The self-titled debut from DROID falls into that vague category one might refer to as modern American metal. By that I mean it's an album with a modern sound, yet one that is undeniably aggressive and riff based with not a hint of bandwagon jumping melodic crooning. It also happens to be the first release for Munky's (KORN) Emotional Syphon Recordings label. The release is a solid one that should convince the fickle, yet won't necessarily leave them with long-term mental scarring.

One major plus for the band on the debut is the consistency of performance across all 12 tracks. While only a handful of songs truly stand out (the fierce "The Resurrection" is one, as is "Salt the Graves", which sports a riff and tempo that vaguely reminds of LAMB OF GOD),the songwriting remains decent and the aggression never wanes. Vocalist James possesses a powerful bark-scream, his delivery upping the violence ante considerably. Musically, the guitar work is given extra punch, based on a great deal of syncopation with the drums. A bit of modern thrash riffing is heard on "Withdrawals of Me" and one can even hear a little "Deliverance"-era CORROSION OF CONFORMITY during select parts of "No Gods No Masters", one that also seems to borrow another lick from the LAMB OF GOD school. Although one single band does not truly represent the, the style of DROID, the album should generally appeal to fans of CHIMAIRA (without the songwriting prowess or soloing),as well as HOSTILITY. I might add that DEFTONES' Chino Moreno contributes guest vocals to "Vengeance is Mine". The production (done by the band and Tim Harkins with James C. Shaffer as executive producer) and Tue Madsen's mixing/mastering sharpens the riffs and gives the album an overall tightness and hard-hitting attack.

Overall, DROID brings some serious heaviness to the table. I don't find it to be a monumental release by any stretch, mainly because the songwriting doesn't grab hold as strongly as it should and drags just a little toward the end. This is not major problem though. The future of DROID may very well be a bright one.