SOLARIZED (Driven) LP/CD
The newest album of New Jersey's SOLARIZED, released in 2002 on Meteor City Records and licensed through People Like You Records for Europe, comes up with twelve tracks. I haven't payed much attention to their debut on Mans Ruin and nearly the same goes for "Driven". On one side there are tracks like the uplifting "Dig the Ride", "Fireflight" (Stooges meets Hawkwind), "Born of Fire" (a doom-laden southern mid-tempo burner) or "Angel" where the bands impress me with some blues-laden heavy riffs and those one are having soul and passion. Other songs like "Box Full of Dirt", "World Without End" or "Meanspirit" are to typical and average. This album isn't that bad, but I miss something like a own identity. They songs are played well and dynamic, some good guitarwork and energetic nervous grooves, but there are no real highlights on this album that I could remember after hundreds of spins, but if you're just looking for something unspectacular solid; a 60's/70's influenced heavy rock album that sometimes sounds like a mix between MM and COC, than check out "Driven". Or if you're collecting all the heavy NJ bands than, too! Visit PLY RECORDS or METEOR CITY RECORDS for more infos.
(KK)