For its sophomore effort,
Skrape
seems stuck. They'd like
Up the Dose
to build fully on the promise of
"Goodbye"
and
"Kill Control"
from 2001's
New Killer America
, tracks that cracked the
nu-metal
mold with stratospheric vocals from
Billy Keeton
and slight twinges of
Deftones
psychedelics
. However,
Dose
can't quite shake a preoccupation with precision. Its every moment is coddled and tweaked with an ear toward marketability, and all of that fine-tuning and dovetailing nearly massage it much too far past a happy ending. Like
Trapt
's multi-format 2003 hit,
"Headstrong"
(which shares mastering guru
Ted Jensen
with
), too much of
seems meticulously prepared to please.
"Bleach"
"I Can't Breathe"
rock barely enough for active radio, but their universal angst ("I can't think when you complicate me") and breathy, layered vocals are an easily consumable kind-of
metal
pill for the crossover set. The bright
"Stand Up (Summer Song)"
taps the same formula, but it's at least blatant in its embrace of an I-just-washed-my-dreads,
P.O.D.
-style mindset.
's harder fare does let
rock without as much worry over what nervous ninny suburbia will think. Bassist
Pete Sison
gives both the title track and
"Habit"
a powerful, sludgy bottom end, and the guitars of
Brian Milner
and new guy
Randy Melser
(who replaces
Mike Lynchard
) cut and parry with real
meat.
"No Respect"
's multiple vocal tracks are a bit much, but there's real rocking in there somewhere.
's best moment might be
"Syrup,"
an atmospheric later-album track that leaves plenty of empty space around its spidery guitars and plodding percussion, capitalizing the chorus when it finally lurches into gear. The song slides in the slime between early
Soundgarden
and modern
, and its final, aggressive tempo change only makes it more effective.
proves
has the chops to rock outside the box. It just makes a few too many concessions to the homogeny-loving types inside it. ~ Johnny Loftus