Charmer

This group features members of the National Acrobat, so the intensity brought to each tune shouldn't come as that much of a surprise. The blazing guitars are still melodic behind the deep growls and howls of vocalist Steve Sindoni on "An Insomniac's Complexion," falling somewhere between classic heavy metal and nu-metal like Slipknot. The band also can't let go of the song, adding a series of guitar riffs to give it a proper sendoff. "A Social Worker's Nightmare" is far more frenetic and frantic, as the rhythm section seems to take control of the number. Its strength lies in the band continually twisting and turning the song despite keeping the same dark, brooding melody. A foot-stomping, fist-pumping "Midas in Reverse" is the early highlight as the mix of aggressive punk and metal backbeats keeps propelling the song in a great direction in the vein of Dillinger Escape Plan. Breather Resist ups the ante with a hellacious yet pleasing speed-riddled guitar on "Honest to God," with Evan Patterson stealing the spotlight. Again the creativity of the bandmembers is exemplified, as they aren't satisfied with going down the same path with each verse (let alone each song), instead going for an intangible quality that Jimmy Page might use if collaborating with a death or black metal band. Unfortunately, the dallying that goes on during "As Far as Goodbyes Go" is initially very disappointing. But they return to their assets during the havoc-wreaking "Long Nights, Short Fuses" as Sindoni sounds even more brutal than usual, resembling Billy Talent in a certain way. Some of the latter songs take a while to get up to snuff, especially the slower and more morose "Loose Lipped Error" that opens like a Jeff Beck instrumental circa Frankie's House. "This is getting old," Sindoni sings during "A Passing Glance," one of the more powerful tunes in the vein of a tighter pop version of Alexis On Fire. "Amphetamine Praise" is another inventive tune that bends the music into a genre of the band's own choosing. The record is highly inventive yet with all the nuances of a neo-nu-metal album.