40 Grit - Nothing To Remember
2003 - Metal Blade Records
By Philip Whitehouse
Go to the official 40 Grit website.
It has been said that a band have their whole lives to write their first album, but only a few months to come out with their second. For this reason, the second effort from a lot of bands can be a disappointment, failing to build on any promise that the original disc may have shown and leaving people dissatisfied with their growth. Luckily, Bay Area metallers 40 Grit have neatly sidestepped this problem with Nothing To Remember, by delivering a meaty, hard-hitting album that showcases an increased grasp of melodicism and dynamics over their original album without foregoing any of their traditional Bay Area punch and, dare I say it, grit.
This is, for the most part, straight-ahead metal - solid, chunky, punishing riffs coupled with powerhouse drumming, driving bass and powerful, confident singing (actual singing, as opposed to screaming, also the voice does get coarse and angry where such an effect is required). There are occasional outside influences - Only Human, for example, is a masterful stadium metal anthem, with an irresistably catchy chorus that won't come out of your head for anything less than major surgery, and Bomb Bottom has some quasi-rapping verses (don't worry though, they're more in the style of syncopated rhythmic phrasing than any white B-boy wannabe lyrical polemic).
There's a distinct sense of increased maturity about this album over the group's last effort - the power and heaviness is still there (because, believe me, tracks like Because Of You will have heads banging everywhere), but added flourishes like the gentle, acoustic intro to the album and the almost epic, anthemic quality to a lot of the songs on display rise 40 Grit above their contemporaries.
Well worth your cash.
8/10
2003 - Metal Blade Records
By Philip Whitehouse
Go to the official 40 Grit website.
It has been said that a band have their whole lives to write their first album, but only a few months to come out with their second. For this reason, the second effort from a lot of bands can be a disappointment, failing to build on any promise that the original disc may have shown and leaving people dissatisfied with their growth. Luckily, Bay Area metallers 40 Grit have neatly sidestepped this problem with Nothing To Remember, by delivering a meaty, hard-hitting album that showcases an increased grasp of melodicism and dynamics over their original album without foregoing any of their traditional Bay Area punch and, dare I say it, grit.
This is, for the most part, straight-ahead metal - solid, chunky, punishing riffs coupled with powerhouse drumming, driving bass and powerful, confident singing (actual singing, as opposed to screaming, also the voice does get coarse and angry where such an effect is required). There are occasional outside influences - Only Human, for example, is a masterful stadium metal anthem, with an irresistably catchy chorus that won't come out of your head for anything less than major surgery, and Bomb Bottom has some quasi-rapping verses (don't worry though, they're more in the style of syncopated rhythmic phrasing than any white B-boy wannabe lyrical polemic).
There's a distinct sense of increased maturity about this album over the group's last effort - the power and heaviness is still there (because, believe me, tracks like Because Of You will have heads banging everywhere), but added flourishes like the gentle, acoustic intro to the album and the almost epic, anthemic quality to a lot of the songs on display rise 40 Grit above their contemporaries.
Well worth your cash.
8/10
