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By GREG MAKI
Any fan of hard rock and metal with a bit of a theatrical flair almost has to like a band whose members sport names like Provo, Crawfish, Deadmike, Sp.Ed. and Coolwhip. They, along with vocalist Scott Rose, form Rikets, a band out of Cleveland that has a lot going for it.
Rikets’ debut, a five-song EP, is an angry, highly polished effort that comes with quite the pedigree, having been produced by Switched frontman Ben Schigel and mixed by former Machine Head/Soulfly guitarist Logan Mader (the producer of Silent Civilian’s Rebirth of the Temple, an album all metal fans need to hear). The band itself features former members of Switched, the Genitorturers and Erase the Grey.
On Anything for the Devil, these pieces come together to create a strong introduction to the band. The sound is reminiscent of Nothingface or a heavier Powerman 5000 circa Tonight the Stars Revolt!. Hard, driving riffs power the songs, with electronics and hints of melody sprinkled throughout. Rose varies his attack with guttural screaming, occasional singing and a croaking delivery that brings to mind Korn’s Jonathan Davis or Spider of Powerman 5000. When the band chooses to employ them, the melodies are strong. The highlights of the EP are “Hollywood,” a scathing attack on, well, Hollywood and the phony people who populate it, and the title track, which features female backing vocals and, while not exactly soft, shows that Rikets doesn’t have to go full blast all the time to be effective.
For many metal fans, Rikets likely will carry the stigma of their nu-metal influence. It’s hard to argue against that, but I think this band offers enough to transcend such a label. Anything for the Devil effectively wets the appetite for a full-length release, All American Death Cult, due in fall 2006.
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