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15 October 2003
Stereomud, Every Given Moment, (Columbia)
At first listen, Stereomud epitomizes everything that's wrong with nu-metal music: lazy, churning, sludgy guitar chords, bass tuned down so low that it rattles your insides, and boring, turgid, lifeless drumming. It's something that has been flogged to death by innumerable bands over the past five years, and the truth is, it's next to impossible to hear any signs of actual talent above the din. However, this band comes awfully close to transcending the minimalist constraints of the genre, thanks to singer Erik Rogers, who boasts a phenomenal voice. Capable of powerfully carrying a song similar to Dave Draiman's work with Disturbed, Rogers shows great range on such above-average tracks as "Show Me", "Believe", and "Define This", but on "Drop Down", he's also able to shift into a phenomenal yell that would even impress Lemmy. "Anything But Jesus" shows the band is above Creed-like sermonizing and boring suburban angst ("I don't want to hear the questions / I got no answers anyway"), as Rogers attempts to carry the band into more melodic territory, but more often than not, the rest of the band leans on the aforementioned nu-metal cliches like crutches. These guys mean well, and they sound better than the majority of their peers, but it's still not enough to warrant spending hard-earned money on.
— Adrien Begrand
.: posted by Editor 11:01 AM
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