Musically the band has riffs that can crunch, leads that shred and harmonize, capable drums that are original enough, keyboards that add atmosphere, and bass licks that ooze and groove like the second coming of Cliff Burton. At times, however, the riffing can tend to plod along, no doubt made more apparent by the length of each individual song. Sometimes brevity produces a more positive effect. To quote that public service announcement on drinking: "Know when to say when." "Lunacy Arrives" offers a funky intro, particularly in terms of the bass and drums, that invokes mid-80s Ozzy, as does the rest of the song.

The band claims many influences, including Metallica, Tool, Lamb of God, Dream Theater, Pink Floyd, and several others. Listening to Nine Deadly Sins suggests early Metallica with symphonic keyboards to be the most apt description of their sound. Vocally a more forceful but less confident James Hetfield comes to mind. "A Moment's Cry" is an acoustic and piano-rich ballad that differs a lot from the bulk of the album, other than vocally/lyrically. While Nine Deadly Sins is a promising collection of original tunes from a band doing some very good things, the group could improve in the vocal department. The bass, however, is fantastic throughout.

written by Tony Belcher

Playing time: 55:27