About ten years ago, the playlists of modern and alternative rock clubs swelled with rhythmically-centered and aggressive electro-rock groups. Some called it nu metal but, really, bands including Powerman 5000, Hed PE, Nickelback, Filter, Disturbed, Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit were all simply following Korn's leader to platinum sales and (fleeting, for the most part) massive acclaim. Without meaning to sound condescending, it was a good time to have a bad attitude, mental anguish and be angry and resentful of it all – at least if you acted like you might have such problems (hello, Fred Durst), you had a shot at fame. Like every good, loud tantrum however, it was all destined to fade; conspicuously most of those aforementioned bands have collapsed completely or continued in a mawkish and canny recreation at a fraction of their former powers.
The beauty of anger and resentment is that they're self-replenishing states though, and now Sick Puppies have taken up the aggro-guantlet to throw a few punches and leave a couple of fresh bruises with Tri-Polar – their new album on Virgin Records.
Combining the vocal and instrumental machinations used previously by Powerman 5000, Nickelback, Filter and Linkin Park, Tri-Polar redefines the space of emotional unrest and angst using an easily recognizable pastiche, but still comes through as solid and anthemic because it aims to appeal to a new audience that was still in diapers when Korn were the freaks on a leash but are but are the perfect age to get pissed off now.
The hints of history repeating explode forth right out of the gate on Tri-Polar as, with a bowel-shaking growl, singer Shimon Moore introduces his band and mindset in the appropriately entitled pair of opening tracks “War” and “I Hate You.” In "War," the single-note and syncopated guitar lines stick close to the low-end-heavy drums to produce an anthemic march guaranteed to get tempers and adrenaline up before exploding again to resolution in the chorus.
The hook is in the statement made: “Let's do this.” And they do.
"I Hate You" continues with some swirling Alice In Chains-or-Filter bass which concocts still more tension and also refines the band's song dynamics to more closely resemble an alt-rock formed quiet verse/loud chorus styling which will guarantee that a few hands and screams go up in the air as the pressure builds. This dance has been stepped before – sure – but not for this demographic and Sick Puppies are doing it with just enough belief to sell it to every under-eighteen problem child that hears it; the noxious swells are potent and mixed to give even a part-time disillusioned teen a standing habit.
The funny thing is, you can actually hear the band getting more confident as the album progresses. After the initial baseball-bat-beating of the first two songs sinks in, Sick Puppies immediately start to lighten up for more alt-than-metal climes in “Riptide” (which will also get Nickelback fans on their feet), “Odd One” (obviously playing to the disaffected youth market in a way that my metal-head ex would probably cream for), “So What I Lied” (which sounds like the best Default or Theory Of A Dead Man song that neither band wrote) and “Should Have Known Better” which both typifies the heartache rock/vulnerable screamer angle that both the band and Moore are shooting for (although the “get into a fight just to make the sex better” line in “Should've Known Better” made my cynical face crack a smile in remembrance) and it does make the grade; even if it can't be argued that it couldn't be better. This being the band's first album, the operation isn't yet complete but there is room for growth here and while the band has only started to reassemble the crumbled brickwork of nu metal, it's already clear to see the design they're working toward.
Artist:
Download:
Sick Puppies – "War" from Tri-Polar – mp3
Album:
Tri-Polar is out now. Buy it here on Amazon .
