Downthesun  � S/T
Label: Roadrunner
Rating: 
 

Some albums should come with a warning label, and this one does, in the form of a sticker with a recommendation by Slipknot's Sean Crahan (the Clown, a.k.a #6). Downthesun is the newest Ozzfest B-stage lemming out of Roadrunner Records, the label that brought you Slipknot and ill nino, among other nu-metal acts. Of course, there's nothing nu about this metal. One listen to the band's self-titled debut album, and you get the feeling that Down the Sun is only here to fill in the gap while the members of Slipknot carry out more solo projects than the Wu-Tang Clan.

What that means is a lot of pounding, low-end guitars, a lot of screaming, and a lot of sounding exactly like every other big-name metal act. The rhythm section intro to the lead track, "Medicated," sounds almost illegally like the opening of Korn's "Faget." Then there's a lot of Max Cavalera-style yelling, and that goes on for about fifty minutes or so. "Jars" manages to end on a creepy note, with what sounds like a small child repeating "You're safe with me" over and over, which leads into the closing track, "Revelations," which starts with a minute or so of what sounds like Jonathon Davis whisper-yelling "Don't you put your f***ing on me," or something similar, that harkens back to the days when Ross Robinson used to beat on his back to get the raw emotion out. It's a nice reminder that Korn used to be a good metal band back in the day.

VERDICT: There isn't an original note on this album, more an amalgam of Korn, Soulfly, Slipknot, and at times, Static-X. Downthesun 's debut is more annoying than moving, and by the end, you can't wait for it to be over (and then the last track lingers in feedback noise for at least two minutes). Downthesun  will almost certainly play Ozzfest next year, and hey that's great, but there's a lot of misdirected energy on this album which could be better put to something more innovative or at the very least emotionally stirring.