Impending Doom

The latest offering from Christian hardcore label Facedown offers triggered drums, multiple breakdowns in a single song and other common elements of the recent MySpace nu-grind phenomenon. Daniel Castleman's pristine production leaves one wishing for one inspired moment of chaos amidst the faceless guitar patterns and monotony - the 35-minute album feels like one long song you wish would end. When the guitars aren't in standard chugga-chugga mode, the riffs sound essentially the same as early Deftones, with an emphasis on string bends. Guttural vocals are displayed in one monotonous belch, with little variance to emphasize the ham-fisted prophecies of the lyrics. "The laws I live by will not replace the reason he died," vocalist Brook Reeves groans on the title track The band live up to their name, instantly conveying a mood of dread; however, this quickly turns into a headache, as the generic blasts continue without any remorse, or any sense of fun or dynamics. Fans of Facedown releases will find much to rejoice about here but others need not bother.