A LIFE ONCE LOST

I guess I don't get totally the appeal of A LIFE ONCE LOST. The pissed-at-the-world sound of the band on "Iron Gag", which gives more than a few nods to LAMB OF GOD (besides the fact Randy Blythe is credited with vocal production) is convincing, but an indefinable void exists that yearns for filling.

First of all, let's get the positives on the table. "Iron Gag" is in fact heavy as hell and offers a good deal of bruising rhythms and at least a modicum of tough riffs. Basically an album of forceful American metal with brutal hardcore flourishes and the occasional southern groove, "Iron Gag" is one of those albums that feels as though it should work, but does not quite seal the deal. And in all fairness, it will rattle the windows and put cracks in the wall. In other words, nothing outright sucks here.

The problem is that even though songs like "Firewater Joyride" and the syncopated LOG chunk of "Detest" and "Others Die" are more than adequate slammers, I am left with that nagging ho-hum feeling when it is all said and done. Mixing things up with the relatively tuneful, more controlled "The Wanderer" provides variety and, along with a few other tracks, keeps the album from sounding overly redundant. Occasionally you will hear a riff that induces some level of head banging, but that is just not enough. So few of these tunes are very memorable ("Detest" being one of the exceptions).

No matter how many times I spin "Iron Gag" expecting to get sucked in and start really digging it, I end up without strong feelings one way or the other. That would seem to indicate a problem with songwriting that hovers perilously close to mediocre. Sadly, I suspect the band's studio work doesn't do justice to its live performance. "Iron Gag" is not deserving of being slammed, but not worthy of high praise either. Too bad.