Passenger
(Century Media)
by Martin Popoff
In Flames’ Anders Friden tends to just go about his business, unconcerned with the controversy surrounding directions taken with his main band, as well as with this second (not side) thing. Passenger is a sort of Stone Sour situation, basically famous lead singer tinkering with something that’s legitimately been a band for years, Passenger’s roots going back to ’95, Passenger also being a radio-friendly diversion for the man at the mic, just like Corey and Stone Sour and Slipknot. Anders sez Passenger sees influence from Chum and Handsome and Helmet, and yes, I guess that’s fair, as what you get is big, creamy, steamy powerchords wrapped around hard, rhythmically-charged alternative, the whisper to roar dynamics pioneered by Nirvana deftly in place.
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