The band is called CRISIS, the album is called "Like Sheep Led To Slaughter". The songs have titles like "A Graveyard For Bitches", "Blood Burden" and "A Study In Cancer", and finally on the cover is a picture of someone who appears to be upchucking his/her spine. I'm guessing these people have other things on their minds than 'rock'n'roll all night & party everyday'.

The good news is that despite apparently having some serious issues CRISIS are not some crappy nu-metal band. Instead they play a kind of furious metalcore that's roughly comparable to MASTODON, with perhaps some hints of SEPULTURA when they were still good. And they don't mind the occasional doom riff as well. This is just to give you a general idea about where CRISIS stands musically, because they do have a sound uniquely their own. What's funny is that when I played this CD for the first time I was under the impression a man and a woman were taking turns singing. When I finally looked up some background information about the band I discovered that ALL the vocals are done by one Karyn Crisis. She covers the entire range, from harsh grunting and piercing screams to almost childlike squeeks. Just listen to the chorus of the second track (not counting the intro) "A Graveyard For Bitches" where a growl that would scare the pants of most male death grunters is immediately followed by something that sounds like some cheerleader yell. Amazing!!

The music is equally schizophrenic at times. Every now and then the heaviness is interrupted by moments that are almost...well...pretty. The best example of this is the vocal intermezzo "Rats In a Maze", which sounds like an evil version of ENYA. It's followed by the gigantic doom riff of "Secrets Of The Prison House", which by the way is the longest and best track on this album. But then I'm a sucker for big doom riffs.

What I found most amazing is that I didn't know this band, and apparently this is already their fourth album. The only explanation I have for this is that their albums must be hard to come by (if at all) in Dutchman-land. If their previous albums are as good as this I will have to check them out, because "Like Sheep Led To Slaughter" is a great record.

- Van Hoften

OFFICIAL SITE: myspace.com/crisis

RELATED ITEMS: Karyn Crisis interview