The Revolution Smile is the second band to benefit from
Fred Durst's A&R genius, signing to his Flawless vanity imprint in the wake of
Puddle of Mudd's inexplicable success. Thankfully, the band's major-label debut sounds nothing like
the Mudd's blunt hard rock, and is nowhere near the histrionic frat rap of
the Bizkit. Instead,
Revolution leader
Shaun Lopez (ex-
Far) aims to channel the sharply rendered modern rock of
Foo Fighters, fueling
Above the Noise with alternately churning and droning guitars accentuated by his own vocals, which emulate
Dave Grohl in the same way
the Mudd's
Wes Scantlin apes
Kurt Cobain. The churning single "Bonethrower" opens the album, but it's a faceless slice of modern metal that does nothing to establish the band. It's only with the rock-meets-new wave groove of "Payday" and "Alien" that
Lopez's songs are able to eke out some breathing room, and lend the Revolution Smile some actual identity. (The latter is forgiven for hijacking its main riff from
Billy Squier's "Everybody Wants You.") Besides being written almost entirely in the first person (six songs start with "I'm"),
Lopez's lyrics make a minor impression; it seems like
the Revolution is more about mood and general rockingness. While the tendency for the band's middle-of-the-road dynamics to suggest
Filter is irritating, the application of keys and synths to tracks like "The Ride of Los Angeles" and "Gun" is an obvious stab at depth that for whatever reason actually works. The latter tune benefits especially from the atmosphere, bathed as it is in skittering percussion and vocal reverb. There are a few more "Bonethrower"-style growlers in
Above the Noise's second half; indeed, it's amazing that the vituperative "Indiana Feeling" wasn't chosen as a single, if
Durst et. al really wanted a heavy-hitting radio track. Unfortunately, "Cadillac Ass" and "Orange" are interchangeable, plodding parcels of metal that go nowhere fast. It's with the subtle optimism of "Looking Down the Barrel" and "I Wish I"'s slowly unfolding ache that
Lopez and the Revolution Smile again make a lasting impression. These lighter, more melodic songs might not be doing much of anything new, but they're still fresher than the processed alt.metal of
Above the Noise's other half. Here's hoping
Durst recognizes this and markets
Lopez and the Revolution Smile in turn. ~ Johnny Loftus