Droid
S/T
3.5/5

Who It’s For: Fans of aggressive music that won’t mind taking a break from the metalcore scene
Sounds Like: Nothingface, Gizmachi, Meshuggah

Does such a genre as post-nu-metal exist? Droid isn’t and is nu-metal all at once. If you can suspend your preconceptions on the bloated and cheesy genre that is nu-metal, read further. The band comes with preconceptions to many as well. They are signed to Korn guitarist James “Munky” Schaefer’s label, and they have toured with Korn. Forget all that too…

Experimentations with thrash metal are the base of the album. While the ultra aggressive screaming approach bears more of a resemblance to that of metalcore with slight nu-metal tendencies, the sound is slightly refreshing in today’s metal scene. Many short, repeated riffs litter the album and their dabbling into groove metal are undeniable. The pulse pounding beat downs of staccato guitars and precise machine gun-esque double kicks makes for a fist pumping scream along from beginning to end. One definite highlight of the album is the track “Vengeance Is Mine” which features a guest appearance by Deftones frontman Chino Moreno. Moreno hasn’t sounded this aggressive in yeas as he screams bloody murder on the song, showing he still has some hardcore in him like he did during the Adrenaline days of Deftones. Moreno provides a slight break in the monotony of band vocalist James’ guttural scream.

Droid’s self-titled debut is a solid effort. No it’s not a revolutionary release by any means, but they are a technically competent band that has made an aggressive album that is far from difficult to listen to. They show a vast amount of potential to expand and create a timeless album in the future. Right now, they may struggle to find a bit of a niche but it can’t be denied that Droid is a good metal band, it would just seem that they’d sooner fit on a tour with Slipknot than Slayer.

Track Listing: 

1. The Resurrection
2. Fueled By Hate
3. God Of Anger
4. Built To Last
5. No Gods No Answers
6. Withdrawals Of Me
7. Vengeance Is Mine
8. For The Following
9. Behind Dead Eyes
10. Sale The Graves
11. Together We Die
12. My Oath

- Michael Kopko  Posted Aug. 25/07