DISTORTION OF SENSES

This is another ho-hum album that has some great ideas and even some above average execution, but just doesn't quite achieve its overall goals. When I heard the opening few minutes of this album, I was prepared to be impressed. The opening riffs are unique, oddly timed, and really fun to hear. Yet, the song collapses into a mire of bad mixing and uninspired composition from there.

This happens time and time again on this album. Either you have a track that simply has no life, such as the second track "Drama Fields', or you get some great openers that lead nowhere (or into some really bad mixing). I'm pretty disappointed with this; though, because there are two excellent tracks on this album that feature some thoughtful lyrics, attention- grabbing instrumentation, and genuinely creative vox. I find "Hundred Years of Dust" and "Breathe In Breathe Out" to be very well done, the latter of the two being the best track on the album.

So, what's with all the mix-up here? Why are there so many promising ideas here that just don't pan out like they should? I think it's because this band doesn't know what they want to be. See, there are plenty of bands that can combine genres, tones, and intensities to form original music. However, some bands attempt this, but come across as fractured and indecisive. Dead End Space is one such band, as they can't decide between being metal, heavy prog, or atmospheric. They don't have the chops currently to combine these subgenres to great effect, and so I'm afraid their work can appear disjointed. If they could focus a little more, I believe they could put out some great music someday.