Despite losing over half the band since last effort, Miracle, which helped rejuvenate their basic approach to groove-led nu metal, Nonpoint continue to throw up surprises on their seventh album.
Starting off auspiciously with the monotone riffs and adolescent spats of the ham-fisted Lights, Camera, Action and I Said It make Hellyeah! seem like Opeth, yet work perfectly well as floor-filling metal fodder. It’s sadly a trick they can’t repeat on the dull Temper and Independence Day. Much better are Left For You and the repetitive but groove laden crunch of Another Mistake, where Elias Soriano’s familiar but effective vocals provide some welcome melodic hooks.
Meanwhile, the band aren’t averse to throwing in the odd chunky breakdown, while the musical dexterity and textures on the Tool-esque Ashes prove that the new members have freshened up the band’s sound. Nonpoint were never destined to be the most exciting band around, but in the absence of a Disturbed-like presence filling venues with simple hard-rock stompers, they may just have enough songs and guts to fill the void.
