This might be the definition of background music. The Thorp Records debut of Orange County’s Gone Without Trace is fast, heavy, but not much else. I started listening to this album one day, while I was on the way to work, and it didn’t exactly grab me by the throat. No big deal though, maybe I just had other stuff on my mind. The next day, I had some time to kill, so I just put it on. I’d like to say that with this second listen, I was blown away, but I’d be lying.

Before I knew it, I was on the album’s fourth track. The only problem is, I totally forgot it was even on. The tracks had just blended into whatever else was going on, and they had done nothing to grab my interest. Reluctantly, I started the CD over again. This is pretty much just straight forward, metallic hardcore. They do occasionally add a few metal riffs here and there, and change things up a bit, but not enough. The track “Eight Four Six” is a pretty good example of this, and it is the best song on here. This band does have some redeeming qualities, but nothing that stands out enough to make me forget how generic this is.

This isn’t horrible, but it’s average to the point that it isn’t worth listening to more than a couple times. Not everyone needs to be tearing down the walls or creating new styles of music, but if you’re going to play a style of music that has been done a million times over, at least try to make it stand out a little.

My Favorite Track: Eight Four Six

Eight Four Six MP3