Amen's self-titled debut album is a collection of socially conscious and/or self-analyzing punk-metal with lyrics as harsh and uncompromising as the band's aggressive, noisy sound. It must be said that all this makes for a bleak, humorless world view (and listen), but then again, this genre isn't about feel-good sounds; besides, it's refreshing to hear an alternative metal group taking on serious topics in a way that justifies the anger and frustration they project on record. ~ Steve Huey