To be perfectly honest I have not had much experience in the craze that was “Nu-Metal”. I listened to Linkin Park and that was really about it. I was not sure what to expect of 16 Second Stare and their self-titled album but what I heard was a solid, but not spectacular affair.
In terms of genre 16 Second Stare fits into that niche of Nu-Metal. With some rapping, screamed, and sung vocals, vocalist Chris Davis sets the pace alternating well between the rap style such as in Hellraiser and a more eerie spoken tone like in Fire In The Hole, and vocally this album has a great amount of variety which might be a plus for some listeners and a minus for others who are looking for a more consistent style of vocal.
Musically 16 Second Stare is solid. Alternating between crushing and melodic guitar lines, “The Judge” and Lonnie Arellano do a good job capturing the anger and rage present on tracks like Eargazm and Beautiful Disaster, and also the melody in ballads like 23 and Misery. Drummer Brandom Foor and Bassist Ryan Hand lay down a solid rhythm backing behind the rest of the band, but don’t really do much else then that. Keyboardist Julz is also really a non-factor on this album, aside from a few piano lines in certain songs. This may be due to the production which seems to be a little on the poor side with guitar lines getting muddled at parts, especially some of the lead lines.
The band is at their finest in tracks like Bonnie and Clyde where the lack of technicality allows the pure rage and intensity to shine, and also showcases Davis’ emotional vocal delivery. The band also shines during the ballads, as the simple yet effective guitar melodies and piano lines combine with the clean vocals, which are above average, to create songs that make the listener feel something.
16 Second Stare’s second album is not perfect but shows a lot of potential. Being one of the better albums to come out of the Nu-Metal niche, this album is worth picking up if you like the genre, or if your interested in a solid release that blends styling’s of metal and rock.
Rating: 7/10
Recommended Tracks:
Bonnie and Clyde
23
Misery
Beautiful Disaster
