From the ashes of Slaves on Dope and Unloco, two bands with middling success in the early part of this decade, comes Anew Revolution. While the lineup of vocalist/guitarist Joey Duenas of the latter band and vocalist/bassist Frank Salvaggio and drummer Rob Urbani from the former may not qualify as a “supergroup,” these are experienced musicians and songwriters who know what it takes to make it in this business. The band’s self-titled, five-song EP has a polish to it you normally wouldn’t expect from a release available only online. It’s not the full debut album that fans of Unloco and Slaves on Dope are waiting for, but it’s enough to tide them over while Anew Revolution wins over new converts on tour.

The songs on the EP do not break any new ground. Let’s hope “Anew Revolution” refers to the band members’ fresh start rather than some perceived sonic invention on their part. What we have here is fairly standard melodic hard rock, which isn’t a bad thing if it’s done well—and it is. “Cave In,” “Saddest Song” and “Pieces” remind me of the riffs and hooks of Dark New Day and some of the milder Sevendust material. “Let Go” is a mostly acoustic ballad. It’s track two, “Rise,” that makes me think Anew Revolution could become something special. Its more aggressive nature is reminiscent of Dope (that’s Dope, with no Slaves). If given a little exposure, the song could become an anthem with its empowering chorus of “Stand the fuck up and rise/I’m not afraid.” The disc is worth the money for this song alone.