Headtrip Superstar

Beautiful (Radio Star)
by Daniel Lukes

Poor old groove, abused and over-used throughout the nü metal ’90s; to the extent where bands who base their sound around the kind of stomping grooves San Diego quartet Headtrip Superstar do on their debut album, can’t help but sound a little dated when placed next to the furious ’80s-style galloping riffs of their more fashionable metal contemporaries today, ironic as that may be. But trendy or no, that’s the time-frame HS are looking to here: When rap-metal rubbed shoulders with grunge and radio rock tendencies, and if it weren’t for frontman Rich Varville’s often overly gruff vocal style, you could almost imagine the band having a go at grabbing some of Staind, Godsmack, or Sevendust’s audience from under their noses. A Southern rock soulfulness creeps in at times to spice things up a little, as does a marked AIC influence on tracks like “Dead Wrong” or on the driving “Still Standing.” And though Beautiful can arguably be called a solid enough album by any standard, what it too often commits is the sin of facelessness. Despite contributions from former 24-7 Spyz drummer Joel Maitoza, there isn’t much here you haven’t heard done better before. A decent start, however, as long as next time they avoid the kind of attempts at rapping showcased on “Walk Away.” The Limp Bizkit revival movement needs a couple of years yet, guys.
(www.headtripsuperstar.com)