Boiler Room

Can’t Breathe (Roadrunner)
by Scott Hefflon

Starts out heavy God Lives Underwater mixed with that whisper-to-a-scream thing every hack-ass nü metal band is doing now. Luckily, Chris Lino has a soulful voice, but he hides it by singing pretty forgettable melodies, and the whole thing’s layered over the most trite “groove metal” riffs imaginable. The hip hop and funk actually save the sound (very rare for me to say that), but I think it’s cuz the guitarwork is so dull. Loud, but dull. The kinda stuff, say, Pro-Pain might’ve grunted out during their trudge period and discarded. I hate bad guitarwork that sounds strong until ya realize it’s only a few notes played again and again with monster production. That’s the problem with a lot of nü metal guitarists who prioritize jumping around to playing. If producers can make shit like this force you to move yer ass, hell, imagine what they could do with good songs? We’ll find out as soon as this fad of shitty, simple, dumbed-down metal passes and people demand something better. Chris, quit Boiler Room, hook up with some zany, starving musicians with mad genius and flair, and ask Roadrunner to pay you and a top-notch producer a lot of money. Ya got a great voice, kid.
(902 Broadway New York, NY 10010)