The Secret

"Young bands that have studied their Iron Maiden records oh so thoroughly." The amount of acts that fit neatly under this metallic umbrella have dramatically skyrocketed ever since the classic Bruce Dickinson-led Maiden line-up reunited in 1999. Musically, Raleigh, NC's Jonin can be considered such a band, as evidenced by their 2007 release, The Secret. Maiden-esque galloping rhythms and guitar work are on display on such tracks as "The Secret" and "Smaller." But the group does not contain an opera singer in its ranks. Instead, they have a gentleman (Stuart Smith) who would sound at home fronting just about any current nu-metal band — with a dose of Maynard James Keenan-isms, to boot. What you get is a an album full of songs that straddle the line between tough guy heavy and sensitive guy introspective — while managing to also keep an eye on melody along the way. The Secret sounds an awful lot like the majority of other mainstream metal bands enjoying airplay circa 2007 — but there's not a whole lot to differentiate them from the other faces in the crowd.