Los Angeles' 2Cents combines several styles of rock music
derived from a variety of influences, including Lamb of God,
Alice in Chains, Pantera and even Nonpoint. They add to the
variety even more by throwing in elements of hardcore and
punk. Lost at Sea (Gotizm/Atlantic Records) is heavy
enough to please most metal fans, riding the fine line of
being commercial or accessible.
I should mention that lead vocalist Adam O'Rourke is also
the band’s drummer. His vocals range from a metalcore-like
scream to a more metal-punk sound reminiscent of Marilyn Manson
or Wednesday 13. The band also seems to have a Southern-type
swagger in its sound. There are plenty of guitar solos and
standout drumming to please any metal fan. All of this may
sound like overload, but 2Cents meshes these styles so well
that it seems natural. Lost at Sea is completely
unpredictable and demands your full attention.
“Fucked in the Afterlife” is a punk/metal throwdown
with O'Rourke seemingly preaching a sermon. “Victims
of Pop Culture” rails against the state of today's pop
music scene. The band admittedly has a strong distaste for
today's musical climate, pop-punk in particular. The irony
here is that the song itself is probably the most pop-oriented
song on the album. The band pays tribute to the late Dimebag
Darrell with “A Song for Darrell Abbott,” a heartfelt
pouring out of emotion with lyrics like, “What I wanted
to confide/You’re the dream I've been chasing after/Your
memory will never die/The path we walk you carved in stone/To
you this life I owe.” The song even has a similar structure
and guitar sound to Pantera's “Hollow.” “Get
the Door” is a heavy, mid-tempo rocker reminding me
of Drowning Pool, while “The Mark of My Pen” takes
off in an entirely different direction with its country/western-like
stomp. The title track closes the disc and is a strong metalcore
anthem, one of the standout songs of the album.
From the lyrics, it is clear 2Cents is sick and tired of
clone bands and aim to set themselves apart from the crowd.
For the most part, they have succeeded. This an album that
should appeal to fans of metal and rock music. Forget about
genres, sub-genres and labels. This is an album worthy of
attention. |
