Aggressive rock from this Detroit trio marries guitarist Kevin Murphy?s howling vocals and chiming, Edge-like guitar runs a la U2 with Jay Livernois? throbbing bass and atomic, powerhouse drumming from Mark Pankonin on ten apolcalyptic scorchers. After a rough opening on ?Henrietta,? which finds Murphy howling like a banshee in heat, the band settle into a hard-driving collection of doom-laden tales that combines the bleak, cold vision of Joy Division and the quirky, off-kilter postpunk stylings of Television with the gothic underpinnings of Bauhaus. In fact, Murphy?s vocals are a credible marriage of Tom Verlaine?s hiccupy squealing delivery with the latter?s Peter Murphy?s (obviously no relation) scowling, ominous pronouncements.

Tracks like the perilous, stalking attack of ?Hearts of Men? have an anthemic pogo quality that should win over the hearts and minds of goth boys and girls everywhere, and there?s a razor-sharp syncopation that recalls Devo in their heyday on the angular ?Before We Turn To Dust.? Murphy?s incessant whailing and screeching may grate on some after a while, but there?s no denying the conviction of this tight band, who are obviously putting 110% into all their songs, which should appeal equally to metal heads, goths and doomladen postpunkers like Joy Division, Lycia and more recent proponents such as New York?s Famous and Minneapolis? Skye Klad. 5/10 -- Jeff Penczak (31 October, 2007)