INDEX CASE

As the story goes, SOIL's Tim King liked what he heard from Des Moines' INDEX CASE and signed the boys to Mortal Music. That little tale, coupled with the fact that the band was viewed as a good fit opening for acts like DRY KILL LOGIC, PAPA ROACH, and STATIC-X should begin to provide you with some indication of the target audience for INDEX CASE.

Now before you go thinking that I'm leading up to a scathing review of an obviously nu/modern rock/metal band, you should know that I found the album to be better than I expected. Meaty riffs and tight, chunky rhythms fit snugly with the airy/dreamy sections. The alternating melodic and aggressive vocals are arranged based on what is called for in the song, rather than coming off as overly formulaic. The bounce factor is kept to a minimum and the textured arrangements are relatively varied.

Aside from the occasional "F bomb" (such as in the first single, "Deserver"),the material is radio-friendly and tailor made for MTV. The aforementioned "Deserver", "Listen", and "Perfect Season" are highlights, and each one sports a good hook and tough delivery. For what it's worth, "Listen" is included on the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Ultimate Fighting" soundtracks. Fortunately, James "Jimbo" Barton's (MATCHBOX 20, ERIC CLAPTON, RUSH) production is not drowned in gloss and polish. There is a bite to the guitars and the rhythm-section sound is hard-hitting.

Once you get beyond the standouts, the material begins to venture into the Land of the Middling. Yeah, you've heard much of it before, but if you're a fan of the style, you should probably check it out.