Scars

SOiL

Straight-ahead yet emotive, testosterone-fueled rock, SOiL's impressive debut boasts 13 strong songs, all with staying power. The propulsive rhythms of the infectious, melodic, and intense title track are at once edgy and heavy, while "The One" is like a cooler Creed, with "Black 7" a brooding, more powerful and modern Danzig. Though Scars was produced by Johnny K, the seeming architect of the new "Chicago sound" that began with Disturbed (and SOiL are not unlike their Windy City counterparts, especially on "Understanding Me") that's not to say SOiL doesn't have its own identity. The Midwestern quintet grooves hard and consistently with a pleasing combination of modern metal stylings matched with old-school influences and a nice attention to detail. From the sexy groove of "Need to Feel" to the more evil "Wide Open," to the punky rawness of "The One," SOiL cover a lot of ground without losing the thread, marking the darkly provocative Scars as an auspicious, affecting, and coolly commercial beginning. --Katherine Turman

Scars Album: