Drawing comparisons to C.O.C., Sabbath, and the whole realm of sludgy guitars, Chicago's Soil have the dirty rock sound down pat. Somebody musta dragged a crateload of tunes up Ol' Miss on a riverboat as there's a definite "Eyes of the South" feel going on here. Hooks aplenty here cuz not only can they produce the sound, but Soil can also write sings that stick in your head (sometimes a curse, but here a joy). Don't know if it's the holiday mood either, but this is exactly the stuff I've been craving lately, fist-pumpin' metal with no pretensions, just here to kick your ass. Says they were touring with Skinlab, and I can see that, for while Skinlab holds more ties to industrial, both bands have a "wall of sound" feel to them that wraps you in it's smoldering arms. RoR's Warning: Only an E.P. with a running time of 19 minutes, but with the repeatibility potential this disc has, I'll be playing it a hell of a lot longer than some of the latest techno-thrash I've gotten. Essential driving tunes for the new year.

Not wasting any time at all, Soil follow their El Chupacabra E.P. with a full-length platter of foot-stompin', head-bangin' hard rock. As, with the E.P., influences cited would be those of a southern nature, ranging from Skynard to Keenan-era Corrosion of Conformity. In dissecting things a bit, riffs definitely provide the inital hook, and the song structures keep interest over numerous spins, but it's defintely Ryan McCombs soulful vocal delivery which elevates this band into the stratosphere. Just straining with emotion, McCombs brings in a soulful bluesy influence, again resembling Layne Staley on some of the more emotional tracks (say what you will about AIC, the guy can sing!). Albini's less is more powerhouse production doesn't hurt either, but the band was just as strong on their E.P., proof enough to me that these guys can rock on their own merits. And rock they do, sounding a bit stiff at times, but not a real surprise as 4/5 of the band's background is death metal. This is a small critique though, as the power learned in the past just wrecks any negative points one may chalk up. Growth of the band is evident as well, as newer tracks such as Damning Eden are a little fuller than anything previously written, showcasing dynamics a bit more. In thinking about it, a lot of this material could easily be slipped into the mainstream (our loss, their gain), but time will only tell as to what fad will surface next (my bet's on polka-rock). Highly recommended by myself and most I know that have heard this.