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By GREG MAKI
The self-titled debut CD by Faktion, one of Roadrunner Records’ occasional forays into more commercial territory, is a more difficult album for me to review than I expected. The songs are decent, listenable, even mildly enjoyable. So I can’t slam the disc even though my overall attitude toward it is negative. The problem is that Faktion is virtually indistinguishable from countless other bands. If I hear their guitar-driven hard rock on the radio, I probably won’t immediately turn the dial to another station. On the other hand, if I go a few days without hearing them, I doubt I would recognize their music the next time it finds my ears. This is due in part to a limited vocal range. Singer Ryan Gibbs alternates between a Jonathan Davis-like warble to, when the volume goes up, a cross between Chester Bennington of Linkin Park and Jared Leto of 30 Seconds to Mars. There is no better example of this than the up-tempo lead single “Take It All Away.” I am, however, encouraged by the inclusion of a handful of guitar solos, most impressively on “Maybe,” which were largely lacking from bands of this ilk just a few years ago.
Some acts overcome a lack of originality simply by doing what they do better than almost everyone else. Shinedown immediately comes to mind. Faktion has yet to reach that level, but I haven’t written them off completely.
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