Neon Cross
Torn
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
This is a band that needed a real comeback effort. In fact, after hearing the three Neon Cross tunes on Premium Cuts, I was preparing to write my first negative review of a Rugged Records project, which would've tarnished its perfect batting record. Well, these old metal warriors have dusted off their instruments and dug deep into their heavy metal roots to emerge with a serving of that Seattle stuff that's so popular today.
The opening cut, "Bitterness," finds vocalist David Reeves lettin' everybody know how he feels, with his impassioned delivery. The only drawback is the riff to the song is identical to the mainstream hit "Outshined" by Soundgarden.
The next cut, "Spinning," seems to find the band looking fondly back at their debut album, which is a mistake. That boogie riff and high nasally vocal delivery remind me of what I didn't like about early NC. The choruses try to salvage the song with retro/grunge bgv's, but it's too late. I've already hit the skip button.
This kind of trade-off between raw, dirty and passionate modern rock and the heavy metal wailing of the past take place throughout the record, revealing several hits, as well as a few moments to miss. Some of the highlights are departures from this, like: the acoustic and Zeppelinesque "Change;" and the Skid Row/Bon Jovi (?) story ballad called "81," which features some sweet guitar tones. Other notables are: "Video Smut," with a weird bgv chorus and killer groove throughout; and "Now," which lets Reeves' voice carry the song.
Overall, like the album's title, I'm torn between the half I like and the other half I don't.