THE CHARIOT

Having never really paid much attention to NORMA JEAN and their ilk (though not for lack of appreciation),the fact that former NORMA JEAN vocalist Josh Scogin is the heart and soul of THE CHARIOT means very little to me. However, based his current group's sheer intensity and Scogin's passionate performance, one cannot doubt his conviction. "The Fiancée" is one of those tried and true, chaotic collections of dissonant and unstructured metalcore tunes. While I would not be surprised to see the disc receive its share of accolades from fans of the style, I find it to be little better than run of the mill.

The album is however not without power, as everything from Scogin's belligerent bark to the thunderous drumming to the massive riff punch hits like a tire iron to the back of the head. There is no denying that these short tracks offer the listener some wicked moments of pure brutality. There is one riff in particular on "Back to Back" that is downright bad ass. Occasionally, the band tosses a wrench into the machine, such as the harmonica on "Forgive Me Nashville" or some actual singing to go with the rage vocals on "Then Came to Kill", which is all well and good, but doesn't make the tracks any more captivating. I suppose there is some deep meaning behind the church choir that constitutes the whole of album-closer "The Trumpet", though I find little redeeming value in its inclusion.

The funny thing about albums like this one is that one band can take essentially the same ingredients to produce this kind of shape-shifting fare and hit the target with force and skill, while another will miss wildly. To my ears, "The Fiancée" is somewhere in between, the result a marginally enjoyable smack in the mouth, yet one that will not warrant many repeat listens.