Great band. I used to listen to them years ago. The CD brings back memories

I have seen the future of Heavy Metal and it is not a pretty sight, however for those of you who are not faint of heart, let me introduceyou to the premiere Metal band of recent memory: R22. This is one of the very best Metal bands I have ever heard. Loud, screeching, thundering vocals, shredding guitar riffs, ear splitting bass and explosive drums combine to form the genius of R22. The storyline of each song is like a different path down a dark and twisted highway that balances somewhere between a Stephen King novel and an Edgar Allen Poe short story. The bands vocals could have been monotonous, howver vocalist Alex is not to be weighed downwith just one vocal style and instead offers a continuing and refreshing change throughout the recording. Each song is different and unique, but very powerful in its rough, troubled, macabre way. I love every sick and twisted second of it. For every Metal fan who thinks our music has gone soft, check out this incredible band and you will think differently. If I could, I would give them more than our maximum rating of Four Chainsaws.

R22 is an amazing Hardcore/Metal act from Long Island, NY. There are three elements vcally to this band. There is the Vocal Growl, sounding more Animal than Human. There is the melodic singing, and there is the rough holler. These three vocal styles are intertwined to form one style that suits R22 just fine. Dan can use the double bass on the drums effectively, causing a beat that is frantic and extremely heavy. When Alex sings, he almost has a Life Of Agony quality to his voice, which can quickly change to the growl that sounds like Cannibal Corpse. Some of the outside elements incorporated into this release are unexpected: a sales commercial, Indian chants, a sample from Batman, its all here. R22 is a band that should be heard, they are talented and articulate.. and ametuer Meshuggah at times. "Subconscious Regret" is quite possibly the most marketable song and one of my favorites too. The song is straight up alternative, except it is totally distorted into heavy R22 style. In this "Cold World" we live in, R22 can warm you up, and get you ready to kick some ass.

Take the vocal stylings of Internal Bleeding, the spastic start/stop grooves of Korn, the harmonic thrash of (Belladonna era) Anthrax, a dash of Life of Agony, and an occasional Mike Patton influenced vocal line and you have this rather strange band called R22. Significantly heavy (certainly heavier than any of the above, sans Internal Bleeding) and quite original despite their recycling ethic of various Rock/Metal genres, on paper this just doesn't seem like it would work. There is, however, a very eerie depth to this album. The songs sound like they link together though they don't really. Hearing a crushing Death metal riff (with thudding double bass) over a heavy groove, laced with melancholy vocal in the vein of early Smashing Pumpkins(!!!) is a fucking earful, you could say, and this sequence adds up for about 10 seconds of one song! "Picture Perfect" is the one being described here, and later in the track there is a distant acoustic part, more heavy grooves, a little rapping, and more melancholy "clean" vocals. Heavy and heavy on intrigue, this is some original shit. The battle between radio friendly Hard Rock and Death Metal is downright nasty, I must admit. The Hip-Hop influence could be enough to turn some people off despite the brutality of the Death Metal vocals, though at the same time, those with short attention spans will appreciate the way R22 shifts gears nearly every 10 seconds. "E.F.F." is a perfect example of R22's multi- Metal attack: the swirling sadness and anger laced with a Hardcore frsutration, while the Death Metal parts represents nothing but pure anger and hate. If thats not enough, a surreal ambient drone hovers in the background, simmering R22's bizarre post-Metal stew. Without a doubt, an album you'll find something new in every next listen. Acold fusion of many different styles of heavy rock.