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ADRENALINE MOB
We The People
2017 Century Media Records

“You got to keep on swinging ‘til the bells are ringing, I want to hear that sound. You got to dig down deep inside of yourself. Don’t let ‘em ever push you around.”

We The People marks ADRENALINE MOB’s third studio album. (They have also previously released three EPs). Obviously, the band’s lineup has changed since the untimely death of former drummer AJ Pero (RIP) and the abdication of bassist John Moyer, who has rejoined DISTURBED. Vocalist Russell Allen and guitarist Mike Orlando are joined by the new rhythm section of Dave Z (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) on bass and newcomer Jordan Cannata on drums. Both new members display the creativity and skills to be longtime members. Dave lays down the rhythms and fills in all the cracks with fluidity and precision, while Cannata’s drumming is high in the mix, with some of the most blistering fills in recent memory. Having one of the best vocalists in metal can only make your band better. When he is in SYMPHONY X or ALLEN-LANDE, Russell Allen is formidable. In MOB mode, Allen is downright terrifying. Do not stand in his way! Guitarist Mike Orlando remains the secret weapon of this band. He is a monster shredder who will not hesitate to rip your face off, smiling while he does it.

The ferocity begins with a boxing-inspired anthem called “King Of The Ring”. The lyrics are a bold statement of power: “Feel the wrath, the hate, the weight, my world’s upon your shoulders, you will feel the hurt.” Some melodic vocals contrast the tougher vocals, and Orlando’s solo here is a smoker. A video for the song can be viewed on KNAC.COM HERE. The title track “We The People” follows, and features a sick groove and shout-along vocals. “The Killer’s Inside” is one of my favorite tracks; I find it to be a very successful melodic effort. ”Bleeding Hands” slows things down to a near-ballad. This track and “Chasing Dragons” give the listener a chance to rest before the beatdown continues. “Chasing Dragons” addresses the abuse and addiction to opioids in the U.S. Allen’s own family has been affected by this epidemic, and it inspired him to write this song to bring some awareness to the situation. He described the song as being “told from the perspective of death. This song confronts the user and the problem head on”.

“Til The Head Explodes” gets back to exploring groove again. Allen deftly mixes acerbic and melodic vocals on this track. “What You’re Made Of” is an essential track on the album, featuring some empowering lyrics and outstanding performances from all members. “Raise ‘Em Up” is a crowd-pleasing track that has a bit of a VOLBEAT-style swagger to it. “Ignorance & Greed” and “Violent State Of Mind” are blistering up-tempo tracks that bookend the mid-tempo track “Blind Leading The Blind”. This song is a gem on the second half of the album.

“Lords Of Thunder” is the longest song and probably the closest the MOB get to a SYMPHONY X style on the album. No surprise, this turned out to be my overall favorite song. The track begins with a melancholy guitar and cello combination and builds to a riff Michael Romeo would be proud of. This song is a pretty convincing power metal anthem. The chorus of “All hail the lords of thunder, we take what we want. And we want it all!” drives the message home.

ADRENALINE MOB is pretty well known for their fantastic covers, often ratcheting the power up from the originals quite a bit. They have even released an EP comprised entirely of cover tracks. In the past, they have covered acts as diverse as DURAN DURAN, BLACK SABBATH, DIO, QUEEN, CHARLIE DANIELS BAND and PAT TRAVERS, among others. On We The People, the MOB tackles BILLY IDOL’s “Rebel Yell” with great success. The original had a good dose of keyboards, but those are absent here, replaced by Orlando’s guitar. It works well.

While it’s true ADRENALINE MOB embraces modern metal tuning and styles, it’s also true they do it better than most of the competition. There’s an obvious outpouring of frustration and the members use this band for catharsis. Whether it’s politics, personal relationships, empowerment, greed, drug abuse or any number of topics, this band is the outlet for it. The word that comes to mind the most when describing ADRENALINE MOB’s music is probably “energy”. There is a ton of energy within this band that cannot be contained. Mike Orlando described the new songs as having “…a constant energy on it. It has a unique energy, like it’s always on the move.”

We The People has 13 songs, and is over an hour in length. It includes another classic album cover illustrated by Marc Sasso. There is a lot to like on this new album; ADRENALINE MOB should be proud of it. We The People was released worldwide on Century Media Records on June 2nd.

4.7 Out Of 5.0

Grab your copy of We The People in the KNAC.COM More Store right HERE.