On it's own termsEdgewater - We're Not Robots...(Forevergreen Records) 3 1/2 stars (out of 5 stars) Reviewed: Sept. 15, 2006 |
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Review by Andy Argyrakis The title to Edgewater's latest album We're Not Robots... stems from some very interesting circumstances steeped in a real life battle between man and machine. A few years back the group was signed with Wind-Up Records (the establishment that unfortunately pushed Creed on the world at obnoxious intervals) whose staff actually told the band that rock n' roll was dead. Faced with the decision to either side with its label to create metallic nu-metal nonsense or truly stick to their guns, the guys left the company and voted on the indie way of life to much more fruitful results.Listening to the ten-track disc, it's clear Edgewater has no desire to be the next Creed or Evanescence, but rather a mixture of the rebellious Rage Against the Machine, the metal mayhem of Guns N' Roses and hints the Foo Fighters with a hardcore underpinnings. The lead cut "Get It Right" slices and dices with fierce riffs and clean but slightly understated production for a mighty electric assault. The project's debut single "Caught In the Moment" overflows with all the necessary elements for heavy formats, including a catchy chorus and mega-melodies, but without the commercial goop or any contrived micro-touches. The same can be said about "Rock Is Dead," which is a wake up call to anyone (ex-record labels in particular) that are challenging the genre's non-existent demise. Besides straight ahead rock romps, Edgewater also demonstrates several hardcore flourishes, which often beef up the songs with incendiary attitudes but occasionally distract with too much might. "S.O.S." and "Engage" are particularly overpowering where throaty shouts turn into alarming belly screams that wipe out the melodic glisten for unbearable aggression. But even in these thick fisted situations, the Dallas players offer promise of an even more cohesive project on the horizon with We're Not Robots... laying the groundwork for a balls to the wall band on its own terms. |