Well, if you believe the press guff that came with this sampler tape of the album to be released next year, Roadrunner have the next Korn on their hands. No, wake up. Come on people, I’m supposed to be the cynical git. Anyway, the names, Korn, Coal Chamber et al creep up. So you know the ball park we’re in. But these lot are French. And we’ve got to give ‘em a chance right? Ok, so what does it sound like.

Well, before I answer that, can I just say that Korn must’ve had a major impact on the heavy music scene when any little thing, even the tiniest thing that reminds you of them sets alarm bells ringing and the fingers searching for the letters that make up the phrase Korn clone. Or is the Klone. It’s unfair, but I at least find it increasingly common. (But, it happened during the thrash era, during the, gulp, funk metal era, during the everyone wants to be the Wildhearts era. It’s not to say I dislike the music, but I simply get bored of it.) And as you may be aware if you’ve read this zine in the last few issues, my tolerance of Korn and the Klones is waning. To the point where if I want to be fair in a judgement, I have to try and dismiss them from my mind. So let’s say there is that Korn element there, guitar tone and vocals at times. And we now leave it at that and try and concentrate solely on the music on offer.

Fair play though, opening track Lie, No Limits is a good song. Even if you can conceivably sing No Place To Hide over the top of it. But then it breaks it down in the middle of the song, and suddenly there’s something a little different. Not sure if it’s enough, but it is different. Like A Fish is a nice change in that it relies on the concept of The Riff again. Mind you, it’d be nice to see a band of this ilk actually go for a melodic guitar break. Just to see if it can actually be done. This sampler ends with Will, which is just a touch on the wrong side of generic again.

There’s no doubt that there’s a bit of quality here. No doubt at all, and the songs have a sticking element, which should do them no harm. Whether they have that air of originality the press release would like you to believe is a different matter. But that’s a labels job. And it’s mine to totally ignore it and tell you that it fits in with the K band and their ilk, but isn’t going to reform the genre.

And I bet you I can tell what they’re going to look like as well!

The album is due for release in February on Roadrunner Records.