Artist - LevelSix
Album - On The Inside
Label - Independent release
Reviewer - Robin Steeley
LevelSix is an eclectic Brooklyn quartet on the rise and On The Inside is their latest demo. Their press information shows some pretty hefty endorsements from the likes of Life Of Agony, Type O Negative, Mudvayne, Nuclear Blast Records, and Century Media records just to name a few so I’m essentially curious to see what this band has to offer.
I have no idea what the names of any of the tracks are since there was no CD booklet and the information wasn’t included in their bio so we will have to go by track numbers, which should be easy since there are only three songs included.
My first impression from track one is that this band is not reinventing the wheel; they are playing standard hard rock with a tinge of metal and a bigger dose of modern Nu-Metal. The vocals are clean and there is good use of melody and instrumentation. The production is somewhat lacking, it seems like the levels are just a bit off but it doesn’t drastically take away from the overall sound. The music has a heavy atmosphere but manages to stay on the commercial end of the dark side.
Track two picks up speed and tempo and has some catchy guitar work along with a strange mix of vocals that run a line between punk influence and newer metal before going into a funky almost bluesy interlude mid song and once again picking up speed toward the end. The third track is a slower burning song that just kind of wanders off into melody with some vivid lyrics and a catchy chorus.
Overall, I would have to say that this band is very new and while they have some serious potential, you can hear the newness in their music. Don’t get me wrong, there wasn’t anything I didn’t like about the three tracks in this demo. I think they have yet to find their signature sound and are borrowing from several genres in the meantime. While this can make the music original, it can also make it unorganized. The band needs experience that only comes through time and playing constantly. I see a lot of potential for growth in this Brooklyn act and I’m sure we will be hearing from them in the future.
For more info check out their official web site at www.levelsix.net
