Job For a Cowboy: Genesis

Proof that out-of-control MySpace hype can apply not only to British pop and emo, Glendale, Arizona death metal band Job For a Cowboy have become instant stars, much to the pleasure of kids in their early teens, and much to the chagrin of older, curmudgeonly metalheads who stubbornly adhere to the time-honored tradition of building a fanbase through hard work and touring. While the band’s 180,000 “friends” attests to the crazy word of mouth they’ve been on the receiving end of, and warrants Metal Blade’s subsequent hyping of their new album, does the actual music hold up? Not really. The band undoubtedly has the chops, which was never a doubt, from the churning riffs, to the complicated drum fills and rapid blast beats, to Jonny Davy’s authoritative roar, but a musical identity is nonexistent, which becomes apparent the deeper into this paltry half hour CD we go. Songs like “Embedded” and “The Serpent’s Lamb” are decent exercises in proficiency, but for all its technical skill, the entire album is completely devoid of any hooks whatsoever. If there’s one good thing about Genesis, it’s that it will continue to turn on young metalcore fans on to more traditional death metal; hopefully the kids will come to their senses quickly, and realize that the new albums by Cephalic Carnage and Behemoth are what world-class death metal sounds like. In the meantime, we can only hope Job For a Cowboy can arrange a package tour with Cattle Decapitation, Pig Destroyer, Goatwhore, and Horse the Band.