.

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.

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