After receiving a nomination for a Juno award (the Canadian equivalent of an American Grammy award) for their debut album,
Purge,
Econoline Crush released
The Devil You Know, a dynamic follow-up which quickly went gold in their native Canada. Following its release, the band began rehearsing for their U.S. tour and readied themselves to compete with the
Filter's and
Stabbing Westward's of America. Unfortunately, the success they enjoyed in their homeland didn't follow them stateside, despite the addition of the video for "Home" to MTV's "Buzz Bin." Three years later, the band enlisted legendary producer Bob Rock (
Metallica,
Mötley Crüe,
Aerosmith) and
DJ Swamp (
Beck) to help them craft an even more accessible blend of industrial rock and pop for
Brand New History. Although the lyrics on the album ring a bit too familiar with those from the band's past releases,
Brand New History proves to be a solid musical affair. While "Make It Right," "You Don't Know What It's Like," and "Flamethrower" take full advantage of Rock's experience in producing hard rock's elite, slower cuts like "By the Riverside" (co-written by former
Nine Inch Nails drummer/producer Chris Vrenna) also entertain while serving to pace the album. Although they haven't strayed too far from the foundation they laid on
The Devil You Know and
Purge,
Econoline Crush has returned with a strong follow-up that showcases their more polished performance and improved songwriting. ~ Don Kline