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Screw the mainstream
if you really want to get your rocks off you have to go to the underground.
That's just what we plan to do with this series, take some of the best
emerging bands that are out blowing away hardcore fans on the underground
music scene.
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Dust To Dust – Sick
The Hobo Review
Dust
To Dust – Sick
Label: The
Music Cartel
Rating:  
Dust To Dust is Rob Traynor. Hailing from
Brooklyn New York, Traynor is personally responsible for the vocals, syth,
bass guitar, programming, songwriting and mixing on the album, with Ken
Hickey from Type O Negative acting as a guest guitarist. To compliment
the opening of a self-financed record label Psyclone Records, Sick acts
as the follow-up to Dust To Dust’s first self-titled release in 2001.
The first track Rot caught my attention.
It was obvious that Dust to Dust were merely another popup numetal band,
conforming to the same old conventions and applying rehashed and reused
techniques – but hey it was catchy. It was heavy, melodic and flowed rather
well, and even featured a solo compliments of Ken Hickey.
But after the vibe of the first song had
died down, the monotony began to kick in. The tracks just seemed empty
and slow – common in most numetal. Rob Traynor has an interesting voice,
slightly reminiscent of David Drainmen (Disturbed). His screams are decent
at times, and his melodies are tolerable. I could not help but feel that
his voice could have been put to better use.
Catchy hooks are effectively employed in
Rot, Think About It, Fixon and various other tracks, but the verses remain
something to be desired. The vibe of Rot is somewhat reproduced in the
track Barely Breathing, but never to make another appearance for the duration
of the fifty-minute EP.
At times, notes of melodrama can be noted.
The progressive numetal song High reminded me of a second-rate, tacky,
self indulgent and melodramatic eighties single. Pusher and Shame had me
screaming in frustration, somehow managing to launch new plateaus of boredom
as they dragged on ceaselessly.
And if you thought there was no room for
a ballad amidst these predictable numetal tracks, you thought wrong. Traynor
mixes the album up, ending with a terrible emotively challenged ballad
Blue Sky Lie.
While initially a few tracks provided some
kind of gratification, a full fledged spin of the disc promises nothing
but drawn out pain and frustration. The album lacks in many areas, and
while Traynor gets bonus points for blending solos into numetal, he still
falls short.
Repetition sets in, influences and bands
past begin to echo and you begin to grind your teeth at the predictable
structure of mediocre numetal.
One review from Dust To Dust’s official
site stated, “Hard music fans should be prepared for a raw and deeply overwhelming
experience” – no they shouldn’t be. While this album may provide some form
of entertainment for fans of Slaves on Dope, Type O Negative, Finger Eleven
and Powerman 5000, the worldlier thrash, death, heavy and speed metal fans
would do well to take heed my bid to steer clear.
The record brought up a quote in the back
of my mind – from Almost Famous I believe – “Pop music is like masturbation
– Instantly gratifying but nowhere near as good as the real thing”.
(Editor’s note: Actually that quote
came from our very own antiGUY. Who, if you think about it, is Almost Famous--in
his own way. “Most of today’s popular music is like masturbation,
it may give you instant gratification but it is nowhere near as fulfilling
as the real thing” – aG)
Listen
to samples and Purchase this CD online
Visit
the official website
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