Syracuse, New York's Brand New Sin are blue collar to the
core, as the big, burly, bearded, tattooed badasses have
specialized in pure, honest, workingman's metal for the past
few years. As the American metal posterboys Lamb of God,
Shadows Fall, and Mastodon have dominated the spotlight in the
last 12 months, Brand New Sin have been cultivating a fan base
of their own, thanks to their relentless touring, and some
plum opening slots, for such bands as Slayer, Black Label
Society, and Motorhead. Their 2002 self-titled album was one
of that year's strongest metal debuts, a record heavily
indebted to the Southern-tinged metal of Corrosion of
Conformity, Down, and Pantera, but also a fun throwback to the
glory days of the beer-drenched, barroom metal of the late
'80s, best exemplified by bands like Circus of Power and The
Four Horsemen.
While Shadows Fall have become metalcore crossover
successes, Mastodon have struck a chord with both metal fans
and the hipster elite, and Lamb of God are on the verge of
becoming the biggest American metal act today, Brand New Sin
appeal to the old school crowd, audiences who want nothing but
strong riffs and great melodies. Three years have passed since
that first album, and the band is back, this time with Century
Media, a label who knows how to hype new bands better than
anyone. Now a five-piece, having done away with the three
guitar sound of the last CD, Recipe For Disaster shows
that all the touring the band has done has helped them
greatly. The new album is not much of a departure from the
first one, but the difference between the two is huge. Songs
have been fleshed out, the production is much punchier, the
band has added more nuance and variety to the compositions,
and most impressively, lead singer Joe Altier sounds better
than ever. Boasting a huge, manly bark that sounds not unlike
Phil Anselmo, he has always brought more melody to the music
than the former Pantera great, and on the new record, his
voice is much stronger, and focuses more on melodies than the
usual metalcore hollering most young bands do. This is a
singer folks can rally behind.
Hearing the sound of beer cans being popped open is all the
indication you need to know what kind of an album Recipe
For Disaster is. Guitarists Kenny Dunham and Kris
Wiechmann consistently deliver lively riffs and twin lead
solos, all with a strong sense of melody, not just blunt
aggression. "The Loner" opens with a terrific boogie riff that
hearkens back to the late, great Dimebag, while the gritty
"Black and Blue" evokes early Armored Saint, with its blend of
UK metal sounds and American attitude. "Days Are Numbered" and
"Dead Man Walking" are nothing more than simple blooze rock
offerings, tunes that are sure to appeal to the classic rock,
AC/DC-lovin' crowd, performed with enough passion and energy
to sway the skeptical listeners. "Brown Street Betty"
shamelessly dips into late '80s glam metal (think BulletBoys)
with its snaky riffs and the "whoa-oh" choruses, while
"Freight Train" is steeped in a sludgy, Southern groove, its
contagious chorus elevating it higher than the rather
repetitive Black Label Society.
The riffs may draw you in, but it's Altier's presence that
holds your attention for the entire album, as he proves to be
a much more versatile vocalist than most of his peers. The
soaring "Vicious Cycles", not the first time the band has
tipped their collective hats to Lynyrd Skynyrd, is a great
showcase for the man's range. The acoustic, country and blues
tinged "Running Alone" and "Once in a Lifetime", on the other
hand, proves Altier has the ability to give any Nashville
prettyboy a run for his money.
With Recipe For Disaster, Brand New Sin show much
more versatility than many people have been willing to give
them credit for in the past, and prove to all they're not a
drab, one-trick metal act. The record is a confident step
forward, and whatever attention they get, this hard working
band deserves it. To paraphrase their fiery opening cut,
they've arrived at last.
— 2 June 2005
