Okay, so here's the rundown: relatively simple C-tuned riffs, one-dimensional yelling vocals, and slow tempos. Yawnsville, right? Wrong! Syracuse's ENGINEER has managed to take an often overdone style (in this case modern, polished hardcore sludge) and make something special. How? It's quite simple - these guys don't overwhelm the listener. While not nearly as crazy as MASTODON or as atmospheric as NEUROSIS, "The Dregs" still manages to keep the listener engaged with straight-forward yet still impressive heaviness from beginning to end.

From the first seconds of opener "Scala Natura", these guys don't waste any time in dropping aggression on the listener like a burlap sack of bricks. As far as the rest of the album, it's more or less taking that same sack of bricks and continuously picking it up and dropping it again 10 more times. But realistically, is any sludge fan really expecting monumental song variety here? The fact that each song is only about 4 minutes in length is quite refreshing, as opposed to the standard 30 minute tracks of many other bands in the genre. The biggest strength of ENGINEER is that both guitarists work great together to produce a nice, thick sound, incorporating all their strings and meshing chords together. Though there are no aspirations here to be the next DRAGONFORCE, there are still plenty of "hell yeah" moments like the creeping intro of "The Thinning Vessel" and the clashing harmonics of "First Frost" that reward the listener for staying tuned in.

It shouldn't be much of a problem for ENGINEER to win over heavy music fans the world over, considering how inaccessible many bands in this vein are, and how effective their approach is. More than anything, "The Dregs" is a great reminder that "more complex" doesn't always mean "better". So don't forget to spin this disc when the mood arises to sit alone in a dark room and brood.

- Cardona

OFFICIAL SITE: myspace.com/engineercooldude

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