OTHERWISE

Las Vegas hard rockers OTHERWISE have been on quite a journey since their 2006 self-titled debut. In 2011, the guys found themselves in the spotlight when their song "Soldiers" debuted on Sirius XM Octane soaring to No. 1, and making OTHERWISE the first unsigned artist to achieve such a feat. Now on their sixth studio album, "Gawdzillionaire", OTHERWISE still maintain their core, straight-ahead hard rock sound, but are elaborating on that with new sounds and styles.

What stands out about the album is how it takes OTHERWISE into a new territory of rap-rock. The album's lead track, "Gawdzillionaire", sets the tone of the record, offering hard-edged riffing, dramatic lead vocals and an overall blistering rock style. In it, Adrian Patrick sings about living life like a "Gawdzillionaire", and an appearance from rapper Ekoh makes this a uniquely rap-heavy track.

"Full Disclosure" follows, bringing melodic hard rock and a more traditional OTHERWISE sound, with Adrian singing about losing his youth and redefining the truth. "Exit Would" is next, opening with a cool bass line and launching into an earnest rock anthem, with clean vocals and upbeat chorus progressions. Think SHINEDOWN or DEVOUR THE DAY.

"New Way To Hate" combines subdued, dance-happy electronics with a strong guitar sound, once again spearheaded by Adrian's powerful vocals. The bridge really shines here, with Adrian showing off his talent for screaming and Ryan Patrick pulling out a high-octane guitar solo.

When it comes to top tracks off "Gawdzillionaire", "Failure" is one of them. The song starts soft and grows into a guitar and electronic-fueled rager, with up-tempo rhythms and catchy hooks.

"Coffins" is another aggressive anthem. "La Familia" standouts with its melodic, catchy chorus and beautiful sonics. For "Paradise", OTHERWISE team up with BUTCHER BABIES' Heidi Shepherd, who delivers pop-fueled vocals that compliment Adrian's rock singing. Moving on, the rest of the album is more of the classic OTHERWISE sound that fans know so well, with strong hooks, big choruses and light electronics.

OTHERWISE flex their musical muscles on "Gawdzillionaire", as they tiptoe between rap, hard rock and nu-metal. A ballad would have been a nice edition, but "Gawdzillionaire" stands on its own, showing that OTHERWISE have the musical capability to evolve and grow as the band matures.