Amidst the avalanche of hard-assed rock discs received in 2004, HIGHBINDER nudged out quite a few with their assortment of memorable, aggressive grungy hard rock tunes in the form of their debut "All the Way to Hell".

Three years later, the ambitious foursome from the land of the Mud Hens return with "Morneverthanever", a disc that strives to push the envelope in terms of songwriting experimentation and adventurous arrangement, while retaining the band's hard edge.

There's no shortage of ferocious riff-driven fare this time. Vocalist Andy Clark's Midwestern drawl is quite similar to John Bush (ANTHRAX, ARMORED SAINT), and consequently rockers like "Ebony and Irony", "The Dead Never Smile", and "Whaler" really cook in a way reminiscent of the aforementioned Bush-fronted bands. But HIGHBINDER is a band determined to take chances. "W.L.I.E. TV" alternates between a thundering metallic chorus and dark, wacky faux-newscast / social commentary in waltz time, evoking images of the old Adam West-era Batman show. Plus "I Never Sleep" straddles the line between charging metal, twangy countrified guitar licks, and some barrelhouse piano.

Such experiments may seem daft to hard rock purists, but its terrific fare for bands of the genre seeking something a little different. If more bands took things to the outside the way HIGHBINDER does, rock 'n roll stagnation could become a thing of the past. At any rate, "Morneverthanever" is highly recommended.

- Marchman

OFFICIAL SITE: www.highbinder.com

RELATED ITEMS: HIGHBINDER - “All The Way To Hell”, 2004