Less
Piano Wire Smile
self-released
From improbably almost-ripping off AC/DC’s “TNT” on “Imp” to harmonizing, Alice in Chains-style, over slow, grinding chords on “Mortar,” Less play brooding in-your-face grunge/nu-metal, all heavy riffing and Eddie Vedder-vocals. Epileptic tempo-changes make you count at least 24 songs rather than the 12 listed on the cover, but they’re still far less adventurous than System of a Down and more approachable than Tool. Certainly sharing a kinship with the more eerie grunge bands through the obvious shadow that Black Sabbath cast over them, they’re also seemingly influenced by Sisters Of Mercy and similarly styled ’80s goth. At times, the over-dramatic, almost Krautrock vocal delivery becomes a bit too much, but those kinds of songs probably wouldn’t have it any other way. Too self-indulgent both musically and lyrically to be considered a fully realized album, this is nevertheless a promising effort from a band who’s still learning.
Less: http://www.less.com
