NAME IN VAIN - EP review added 26th March 2009
Album Review: Name In Vain EP (2008)
For fans of: alternative metal... and SHOUTING!!!
Rhode Island foursome Name In Vain don't do finesse. They don't do quiet, they don't do subtle and they don't do introverted. Name In Vain are raucous with a capital ROAR!!!
Vocalist Matt Pelosi is not the most gifted of singers... although this judgment is based on the fact he never sings. He's very binary: he's either silent, or he's shouting. There's no middle ground and nowhere to hide. It is possible there's a wonderfully melodic voice hidden somewhere on his person, but he certainly doesn't show it on this eponymous EP.
The style is a blend of grunge, thrash, metalcore and, possibly, Roman mythological beings have a slanging match. Think Biohazard and Pantera having a polite disagreement. The guitar boasts a pleasantly heavy tone, and the rhythm and bass sections sound like a fifty-two lane highway passing overhead.
Intriguingly named it may be, but 'Pitbull Wings' has a ridiculously phat rap-metal crossover sound. The main riff is repetitive but explosive. Playing it to a throbbing mosh pit would be like dropping a Mentos mint in a bottle of cola. 'Crept' has some nice bass and lead work in it. The song barrels along at a fair rate of knots, although parts of the track are a tad disjointed.
Name In Vain, with this debut EP, show hints of excellence, but perhaps aren't there yet. The songs are awesome in places, yet decidedly pants in others. Listening to the EP is like dipping your hand in a bag of mousetraps and gold bars. It's very difficult to predict whether you'll end up in pain or in ecstasy.
Check out... The starts of the first and last tracks sound near-identical.
Track List:
1. Persecuted
2. Pitbull Wings
3. Back Down
4. Crept
Artist's websites: Name In Vain , MySpace
