Element Eighty’s self-titled debut CD strives for a hard-edged approach to metal, with fuming vocals, intense drumming, and searing guitar riffs. The only problem is, this is the exact same formula applied and perfected by superior bands like the Deftones and Metallica. The vocals are my biggest complaint, as singer David Galloway whispers one word, and then screams the next during practically every verse. The effect would be similar to having your mother in one ear scold you quietly for doing something wrong, while your father shrieks at the top of his lungs in the other. I was lucky enough not to have any such experience, but you get the point. The effect is irritating to the point where I just wanted to bash Galloway's vocal chords into pieces with a steel pipe. Perhaps I'm exaggerating a little, but honestly, vocals are the most crucial ingredient to a successful metal band, and combined with indistinct, sloppily executed guitar riffs and boring lyrics, Element Eighty's debut shows that these guys still have a lot to learn.

Formed in Tyler, Texas, Element Eighty, like Metallica, got their name from the periodic table. Says guitarist Matt Woods, "I was in a physical science class in ninth grade, and was trying to think of a name for the group. I remembered that Metallica got their name from the periodic table, so I started scanning through it and saw that mercury was the eightieth element. It's also the heaviest liquid metal, which I thought was kind of cool and went along with the whole heavy-metal vibe." The band throws in several melodic moments sandwiched in between the meaty guitar riffs and pumping bass lines. On songs like "Scars" and "Broken Promises", it works surprisingly well, creating rich musical textures that help separate them from the slough of nu-metal clones on the market. However, more often than not, the band falls into the typical genre trappings of under-written lyrics and unneeded vocal rage replacing actual singing.

1) Goodbye (2: 45)

- A moderately satisfying opener, "Goodbye" may not be anything to seriously jam to, but it still gets the job done. The best part is Ryan Carroll's tribal drumming, along with a solid riffing spectacle by Woods. Galloway's vocals go from wailing in one line to sensitive and caring the next. It's a dizzying result to be sure, but is much more tolerable early on than it will be as the album wraps up. The chorus consists of, "How long will this last before you know its time/ To say Goodbye/ Say Goodbye". Not the most intricate words ever put on paper, but it could be worse. In summation, "Goodbye" is an expectedly crushing opener that ensures the listener has something to look forward to, at least temporarily.

Grade: 7/10

2) Bloodshot (3: 57)

- Beginning with a demolishing guitar hook, "Bloodshot" continues the band's unyielding heaviness. The album appears to be off to a pretty decent start, but many bands tend to stack all the quality material at the front end, and Element Eighty is no exception. At the 1: 37 mark, there’s an interesting section that’s filled with alternating techno beats, leading expertly into a pancaking guitar riff montage. “Bloodshot” fires back and forth between crooning, soulful rhythm sections and the ridiculously bombastic chorus. Galloway vents angrily, "Bloodshot! Bloodshot! Don't you f*ck with me/ Bloodshot! Bloodshot! Don't you f*ck with her!". As for what this song's theme is, who's to say? All I know is this is a fairly engaging second entry that keeps the initial momentum going.

Grade: 7/10

3) Broken Promises (3: 17)

- The lead single, "Broken Promises" arrives in the number three slot. I was very perplexed by the band's decision to use this song as the single. I strongly felt that "Scars" would have been a much more intelligent choice. That's not to say that this track is bad, because it's actually quite good. Producer Scott Humphrey (Rob Zombie) offered his take on this song, "It feels like the entire album in one song. It has both the heaviness and melodiousness we're looking for". To that end, he's right. As usual, a walloping guitar hook is the main attraction. Galloway is more in control of his voice here, as his screaming sections have more flow and are all around more bearable than the bulk of this CD. The lyrics are also of high caliber, "And now we're left with broken promises/ My heart can't take no more", which shows the devastation he's suffered from a botched relationship. Solid, albeit straightforward, rock music all the way through.

Grade: 7/10

4) Texas Cries (3: 01)

- After three consecutive smashers, Element Eighty opt to begin the fourth entry with a light acoustic guitar intro. It’s a nice change of pace that unfortunately, falls apart once they switch back to the angry metallic noise thirty seconds later. Galloway is caught between doing the casual, almost soulful vocals and his annoying screaming. Because of this, “Texas Cries” (nifty personification) never really gets off the ground. Though there’s a crafty segment where only Galloway is speaking over a zappy guitar line that really grabs your attention, it’s simply not enough to overcome the sheer mediocrity of this song.

Grade: 6/10

5) Parachute (3: 00)

- “Parachute” is more of the mindless claptrap set up by the previous song. No surprise here: Galloway’s vocals tire quickly with his soft/ ultra loud delivery tradeoff. Woods is mildly effective with some crisp guitar work, and Carroll’s drumming occasionally possesses some flair, but it all sounds so hollow and uninspired. By this point, I had realized that Element Eighty was going to disappoint, as this bland song is the rule rather than the exception the rest of the way out.

Grade: 5/10

6) Dummy Block (2: 58)

- Ahhhh, make it stop! That was my reaction to this song upon first hearing it. Woods’ main guitar line will have you grinding your teeth in no time flat. Galloway, is, for all intents and purposes, consistently awful during every single second of this bleak track. The lyrics were, presumably, written by third graders, “You’re gonna make me flip the switch/ I’m gonna make you my b*tch/ Now I understand all the lies you hide!”. At the 2: 23 mark, Woods attempts what I think is some kind of guitar solo, but it’s so poorly executed it’s difficult to discern whether he’s soloing or just making random sounds. Truth be told, he sounds as bored as I was listening to this track.

Grade: 3/10

7) Scars (The Echo Song) (4: 58)

- I honestly popped the CD out to check if it was still the same band I had been listening to prior to this song. “Scars” comes out of nowhere to easily batten down the album’s best track award, as well as being one of 2003’s best songs. It blends a creepy, pulsating techno beat with an operatic vocal performance and unparalleled instrumentation. The lyrics are not to be overlooked, as the chorus in particular is a standout, “You said that we would always be friends/ You said our love would never end/ But all you gave to me were scars on my heart”. Though I’ve criticized Galloway numerous times already, here his vocals shine. His yelling moments, such as when he screams, “Scars on my heart” to close out the song, are really made even better with his dynamite melodic approach. Not to be outdone, Roon’s jumpy bass gives “Scars” a good shot in the arm. If you ever considered buying this album, “Scars” should be the reason why.

Grade: 9/10

8) Slackjaw (3: 21)

- Well, I enjoyed “Scars” while it lasted, because now we’re forced to sit through more dull, tepid misfires like “Slackjaw”. It may sound like a broken record by now, but Galloway makes no effort to make this vocal effort stick out from all the rest. While not despicably bad, there’s just nothing to get excited about. I think it would be interesting if he decided to only go melodic, because I consider him to be much more interesting when he’s only doing the softer side. The instruments are appropriately hard-hitting, as expected, but again, nobody really shows much enthusiasm, and that does not bode well for the listener.

Grade: 5/10

9) Rabies (3: 18)

- A guitar opening that sounds more laser blasts, gets the ninth entry going. Ok, here’s my advice: skip ahead to the final paragraph, because you’re not going to be missing anything special. The band decided to pack it in long ago. “Rabies” is lifeless, from the lousy drumming and guitars to the lame-as-hell lyrics, “Well I’m so sick/ I’m sicker than you!”. Just do yourself a favor and avoid garbage like this.

Grade: 4/10

10) Pancake Land (2: 51)

- Woods proclaimed on the band’s website that the members of Element Eighty are, “striving to be the tightest band in the world”. I wish them well on their endeavor, but with more trivial material like the silly titled “Pancake Land”, that statement is simply laughable in its utter ridiculousness. As is the norm, Woods delivers crunchy guitar riffs a plenty, but Galloway’s vocals are well…you know by now that he isn’t my favorite frontman. Lyrically speaking, things are moderately better, “Nothing can teach me/ No one can reach me/ Seeping through the skin/ I’m screaming inside of you”. There’s another shredding guitar solo near the end, which lasts all of ten seconds, and seems like a pointless inclusion. “Pancake Land” is more arduous filler, but lucky for us, there’s only two more tracks to go.

Grade: 5/10

11) Flatline (3: 56)

- I held a small amount of hope for “Flatline”, if only because it was one of the longer cuts on the album. It’s not nearly as discordant as most songs on the CD, but it’s nothing entirely memorable either. Galloway repeats the line, “You’re under me!” ad nauseum, while the other group members trash along. Roon’s bass is better than average, though the lyrics are badly in need of a total makeover, “I am the demon inside of you (X7)”. Suffice to say, they get old in a hurry. Then again, that goes for most of this album anyway.

Grade: 6/10

12) Rubbertooth (1: 44)

- At last, I can take comfort that my suffering with respect to this album has finally ended. At 1: 44, does this really even classify as a song? It’s too long to be a TooL-esque intermission song, and yet it’s well short of being considered a real effort. The lyrics are basically two lines played over and over again, “Devil’s in my shoebox/ You were in my shoebox”. Does Galloway mean that the person he’s angry with is, in his view, the devil? I’m probably reading way too deep into this song. The music is generic to the extreme, and I can only take solace in the fact that, after much grief, Element Eighty has ended, and not a moment too soon.

Grade: 2/10

Though I’ve panned this album on a number of different fronts, from the infuriatingly inconsistent vocal performances to the sub par lyrics to the taxing guitar riffs, I’ll give Element Eighty two stars, because it’s a debut record. I’m willing to cut the band some slack for a first release mistep. In any case, don’t even think about making the same mistake I did when I bought this CD. Go off and download the epic “Scars” and enjoy the album’s only real highlight. It’s so sad that the album’s second half imploded so spectacularly, because if Galloway would eliminate his forced screaming sections and the band wrote a few half decent songs, this band could make greatly strides on their next effort. As far as nu-metal discs go, Element Eighty’s first musical offering is one I'd happily wish to forget.

Recommended: No