Break The Silence - Near Life Experience

I had high hopes for this album--expectations that weren't met. I figured that any band with Dan Precision (ex-88 Fingers Louie and Rise Against) would be worthwhile, and this isn't to say that Break the Silence is a bad band; it's just that Mr. Precision has seen better days. Near Life Experiences is an average-at-best record, blending the lines between punk, hardcore, and metal without being too rough or too melodic. But something is lacking, and for starters, there's this ever-present feeling of the singing clashing with the screams. I don't mean that vocalist Dan Wintercorn isn't a quality frontman, but the switch from rough, throaty shouting doesn't cross over well with the softness of his singing. In addition, the songwriting is plain out lackluster. As much as I adore Mr. Precision's former bands, I have a hard time with this record after a few songs. Many of the melodies are too predictable and therefore, boring. The talent is definitely here--Break the Silence has talented members, but they have yet to coalesce as their skills predict. Once Break the Silence smoothes out their edges, they'll definitely be something important. But until then, you'd be better off with the first Rise Against record. [www.break-the-silence.com]