(HED)P.E.

Seven studio albums from (HED)P.E. now and "Truth Rising" is first I've paid any attention to whatsoever; basically because I'm reviewing it. Not sure if I've ever had much an opinion about the band one way or the other, aside from the feeling that they're really not my cup of tea. But to my surprise I can now state that (HED)P.E. is a creative outfit and "Truth Rising" has more than its fair share of intriguing musical amalgamations and the occasional righteously rockin' cut.

Of the twenty-two tracks, several are intros that speak predominantly of government and capitalist conspiracies with varying degrees of legitimacy; the rest a representation of the band's unique mix of rock, punk, metal, and hip hop, often in the same song. The title track and a handful of others are urban rap/metal toughies reminiscent of a range of acts, most of which are escaping me at the moment, though BIOHAZARD comes to mind. The melodic chorus of "It's All Over" that juxtaposes with some notability initially seems awkward, but ultimately ends up stuck in one's head. Songs such as "No Rest for the Wicked", "This Fire", and the straight up fast punk of "White House" are hard as nails, even scorching. The tough 'n soulful "Stand Up" (featuring SEVENDUST's Lajon Witherspoon) was more than likely pinpointed as single-worthy, but doesn't quite make the impact that was probably expected of it due to a mediocre refrain. "Forward Go!" falls rather flat as well. Where the band excels is at blending the aforementioned diversity of musical elements, as is the case on "Children of the Fall", which features a chorus much catchier than "Stand Up". Nutty SYSTEM OF A DOWN pacing meets hip hop (with some female vocals) on "Murder", as well as a couple of other tracks, and works much better than the more purely rap-oriented numbers, but I suppose that sentiment is more a matter of personal preference than anything else.

Sometimes the group's ambition gets in the way of consistency and songwriting effectiveness, the album hitting a few potholes on its way down the road. Be that as it may, "Truth Rising" offers more good than bad and "bad" is probably too strong of a term for some of the more middling material. From what I can gather of the solidity of the (HED)P.E. fan base, this one will do nothing to disappoint. It is certainly much better than I expected.