Ahh! At long last, the long overdue new release from Dayton, Oh’s own Dr. X! The album is appropriately titled “STRUGGLE”. And a long struggle it has been. From member changes, a roller coaster ride of a music scene and label issues, the new album has officially arrived. If you’ve ever had any contact w/ this band, LIVE or just their debut album, you know how long it’s been since our last fix! 4 years since, “Dr. X”. THAT’S JUST TOO FUCKING LONG!!! I was having some serious withdrawal goin’ on here! Dr. X is now comprised of original alums, Ken Coggeshall on vocals and Bill Staudt on bass. New guitarist Tom Reade; even though he’s been w/ the band for over 3 years and played on the “THINGS TO COME” ep; and new time keeper, Greg Wiedemann on drums.

The needle prick: Upon the initial contact with this disc, you can’t help but to notice the album cover. There’s a fetus struggling inside the womb. Perfect! I love it when a band can have the title, cover and almost in this case, the material wrapped up into one nice little package. The cover compliments the title very nicely!! Kudos! The overall layout of the whole album is quite good in fact. The only bad point to make is the lyrics are a bit hard to follow in the format they’re laid out in. They’re in paragraph form, with only capitol letters separating the lines. The pictures are quite enticing! Many good live shots of the band as well as “in the studio” pics and a few of the fans one as well.

Now for the injection! As soon as you pop this album into your cd player you are immediately thrown into the machine that is known as Dr. X! Ridin’ on a “V-8 Skate” for real! “Welcome To Gomorra” is a good opener. Ken’s voice sounds strong and commanding! Time to listen up. He instantly draws the listener into the album with bludgeoning force. Some of the opening lyrics, “To question compliance and conformity without reason...Free your mind from these prisons and your ass is sure to follow.” says it all. Makes you wanna skip the track back over again this time w/ the volume CRANKED!! Believe me, I did!

Next is “Get Up”. Seems likely to be a future single as well as a fan favorite. Sweet little intro riff here from Tom. Ken uses the ‘no holds barred’ type of writing on most of his songs and this one is no exception. I’ve always admired Ken’s lyrics. They are creative, intelligent and educational all in one. For example, this song just screams w/ attitude! He comes across as a straight badass! Spewing w/ sheer confidence in what they’re doing and yearn to back it up on stage.

The band, as a whole, are rock solid in their timing and overall feel. Bill and Greg make an incredible rhythm section while Tom dishes out the crunch of his guitar. They just gel very well together. The one influence I begin to notice throughout the disc is the Fear Factory method. Not very many guitar solos. I've never been a huge fan of most guitar solos. Sure there are some you can never forget, but it seems that they are sometimes obligatory on most songs. Like chorus, verse, chorus. Routine. Nothing routine here! 

Track 3 is “No Freedom”. Little bit more dirt under the fingernails on this little ditty. A slight history lesson learned here. Just reminders not to let the government slowly erode away your freedoms. Period! Musically, has a more solid groove towards the “new” direction the docta is heading for.

“I’m Fine”, was previously released on the “THINGS TO COME” ep w/ original drummer Steve Weller. This new version still sounds just as tough as the other and fits into the flow of this album quite well. Like an old friend that comes to pay you a visit. A definite fan favorite for sure. This song is here to stay!

The next in track is “Worlds @ War”. Seems to be about the legalization of drugs. Killer opening. Gives you the feeling of an ‘epic’. Surprisingly, the song clocks in only at 4min and 30 sec. You’d thought it would be a hell of a lot longer listening to it.

Another visit from an old friend here. “Think”, also featured before on the “THINGS TO COME” ep, and still kicks you square in the ass. The only thing bad that I begin to notice on this album is that Ken has a tendency to overdue the screaming on a good portion of the tracks. Doesn’t really ‘sing’ as much as he did on the last album. Sad too, I always felt he was a versatile vocalist. The next track, “Killing Faith” is a good example. Some good production on here but the yelling tends to get on your nerves a bit. After a few spins, makes you want to skip to the next track. Oh boy! What a little surprise that awaits you behind track # 8!!

“Happy Man” will put a smile on your sinister face for sure there mister. The Dr. X ‘love song’! Showcases Ken’s wit and humor while still making it jam. A very poppy feel and charming lyrics about a girl that just fucks your world over but now you’re happy as a clam since you got rid of her ass! Very entertaining! Sure to become a classic. They are a straight hard groove oriented rock band but can deviate from their own rule from time to time. Few bands have this capability.

Onward to the ‘epic’, “Turning (To Ice)”. Now here’s where the docta really uses their tools, and are honed to surgical precision. An excellent track here. Just one of those songs you've got to hear it to feel it! The song’s about becoming cold from bad love of the past and wondering if it can be saved before becoming cold forevermore. If you’ve ever really had love bite you in the ass a few times, you begin to become a bit coldhearted. Sometimes you turn away love that might help thaw out that icebox that it has become. This is one of Dr. X’s best tunes on the album. Vocally, Ken is in prime form and harks back to the killer songs “Ode To The Elixir” and “I Sit And Look Out” from their self-titled debut album.

“In Whose Name” expresses Ken’s, now seems to be common, distaste towards Christianity. I personally agree w/ the subject matter here. Some people might not care for his ‘preaching’ against the Christian faith though. Oh well, tuff shit! Get over it! Goddamn it! LOL. But overall, the track seems to be more in the ‘filler’ vein. Quickly forgotten in the mix. But that’s just my opinion. If only one or two tracks needed to be deleted due to time constraints this is one of them.

“Coming Down” opens w/ Bill’s bass lines as it seems to growl w/ life! The track has a bit more of a dark crunch to it. Tom really has his sound down on this number! This rings true about the use of heroin.

“Good Girl”, the last track from “THINGS TO COME”, lands itself near the end of the disc and fits right in. A dark song written in the vein of Type O Negative. About a young girl losing her virginity and loving it! Yeah baby!!

One of my picks here is the next track, “End Of My Days”. This is sure to be a crowd pleaser. The only bad thing is, it drops off as you mosh about in the pit and leaves ya w/ blue balls as it quickly ends.

Now for the meat and potatoes! The possible first single and my favorite, “Rejected”. This song just grabs the bull by the horns and kicks your fucking ass! A noticeable influence from Ministry’s classic “Stigmata” here. This is the docta at their malpractice best! Just makes you want to sing to it in no time at all. Killer groove and has you shouting the lyrics right back at the player with angst while you listen to it.

Now the coming down: The closer and title track, “Struggle”, is an acoustic number that brings this monstrous chapter of Dr. X to a close. A bit on the ambient side as well as haunting all at the same time. Just make sure you have the repeat button on to enjoy the album all over again.

Overall, this album was well worth the wait. Hopefully their new disc will be available on a major label soon. Dr. X has serious potential to becoming a longtime contender in the hard rock genre. With well-written lyrics and infectious grooves, I see the “docta” being in practice for a long time to come. Their debut album, “Dr. X”, almost made The H.M.D. Music Resource Guide’s Album Of The Year in 1999. Was only beaten out by DRAIN s.t.h.’s “Freaks Of Nature” album. Look for this new release to be nominated this year for sure!

Sonny Thomas 8/2002
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Cool cd. I love the bass players hair!
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The first time I saw Dr. X at The Triangle in Greenville, OH., I knew "Here is a kick-ass band!" Their first CD was awesome, and their 3-song teaser debuting Struggle tracks left me craving more. And the wait was worth it! Struggle is everything the band is on stage. Everything from there hearts and life experiences is on this album. True to their diverse music likes, Dr. X keeps the listener intrigued with the different styling of each song. The in-your-face sounds of "Get Up," "No Freedom," "Think," "Coming Down," and "Rejected" keep your head nodding. "I'm Fine," "World@War," "Turning to Ice," and "Struggle" take you deep inside the souls behind Dr. X. Then there are the fun songs like "Good Girl" and "Happy Man." There are elements in "Happy Man" that we've all felt after a bad break-up. This album is a must for any hard-rock fan. And definetely check out there web-site so you can hear earlier works (well worth the trip). A final word: Can't wait for the Live DVD!!!
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Dr. X returns with their sophmore effort.
     "Struggle" has been two years in the making. It's heavier than the first Dr. X CD. They have reinvented
themselves while maintaining the essence of good songwriting. Believe me when I say that it was well
worth the wait!! The doctor has created a MONSTER!!
     The first thing that you'll notice about "Struggle" is the great artwork and layout design. This sleeve
doesn’t look like your typical local band budget. There has been alot of money and effort put into this
layout.
     "Struggle" opens with the track "Welcome to Gomorra". The song is exhilaratingly primitive in it's tonal
aspects. This track has an overwhelmingly fullness of heavy guitars and vocals, accelerated by the
relentless pounding rhythm doctor that is Greg Wiedemann.
     Track four is "I'm Fine". What you are hearing is Dr. X continuing on their upward journey of artisic and
commerical growth. Dr. X guitar player Tom Reade shows his fret work ability with a tasteful, well-thought
solo that effectively heightens the impact of the song rather than detract in a inflating display of egotism.
You don’t hear guitar solos much anymore and Mr. Reade shows that its still ok if you do it tastefully.
     "Happy Man" is a brillantly written song through the eyes of a heart broken male that's putting the fun
back in dysfunction.
     "Turning (to ice)" is a very moody piece of musical expression. Vocalist Ken Coggeshall sings with
beautiful clarity in a song saturated with the fullness of sonic brutality.
     The song "In Whose Name" is deep with lyrical content of which one stands in their religious
stronghold. A song so deep is the perfect place for bassist Bill Staudt to lay down a low end breakdown.
     Track twelve is home to the tune "Good Girl". A hypnotic journey that takes the listener down a darker
path that they may have never travled before. Lines like...
"she knows that she has left her God/but still she screams his name/eyes roll white by candle light/as
Christ drips from her face" say it all.
     "Rejected" has hit single written all over it. You could hear this song on airwaves worldwide! The story
of a angry son bitter with his father in a broken home. This song makes you want to pump your fist in the
air in protest of authority. The hatred in Coggeshall's voice lays perfectly with the slashing guitar work.
This is my personal favorite track on the disc.
     The title track "Struggle" is the last song on the CD. This is a beautifully arranged song with simple,
but trance-like music behind a very strong vocal. Dr. X paints a abstract, but cohesive picture through out
this 7:00 minute tune. This is the opus of Dr. X.
     In closing, I'd like to thank Dr. X, Ken Coggeshall, Tom Reade, Bill Staudt and Greg Wiedemann for
this epic piece of music and art. They have captured the essence of a live performance and put in onto this
disc.
     The key element of "Struggle" is a fundemental appreciation for good, solid songwriting. The result is a
piece of music that is flawlessly executed with a thunderous intensity that sounds like a band as a
single-minded entity, rather than a disjointed unit struggling to weave around the sounds of one another.
     The new Dr. X disc "Struggle" is a monster that will pull you back to the repeat button of your cd
player. No need to skip around from song to song because this sixty minute-plus disc will leave you
wanting more of the doctor’s dosage!
     I recommend for everyone to go check out Dr. X live and pick up a copy of there lastest, "Struggle".
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