Hell Within
Asylum of the Human Predator
LifeForce Records

One of the many roadblocks that someone like myself who appreciates the genre of metal but is not a connoisseur is that, yes, it all starts to sound the same to me after a while. I find it fascinating when people can pick out different bands from a line up because I sure can’t. So, when I hear new stuff, like the first album by this Massachusetts quintet, I can only comment on what this band is doing differently from everyone else and whether that makes it worth listening to or not.

One of the most distinctive things this band has going for them is vocalist, Matt McChesney. I am apt to think that they did a lot of overdubs for him on this disc but it still sounds like both sides of Mike Patton’s vocal personae (the raspy screech and the more melodic singing voice) fighting with each other in the midst of each song. He’s quite a talent in that regard. As well, I have never heard double kick drumming like Brian Joyce pulls off. In the first five seconds of the track “Soul Revulsion”, you will probably be convinced that his legs are made of rubber.

Other than that, well, they aren’t doing much that could be called distinctive. The lyrics are full of nihilistic imagery and they swear that they have a bass player but you would never tell by the overabundance of chugging guitars to be found here. If you are a fan of this style of music, you would be hard pressed to find a bunch of gents who are doing it in any more of a pure fashion than they are, but if, like me, you carry only a passing interest, it could be white noise for all I know.