e(v)olocity

e(v)olocity's done something smart with its debut CD that every band trying to get on the radio should do: packed its four best songs onto the front end of the album. Once the first two tracks — including the mediocre single "Too Far" — are out of the way, the band's best moments emerge and the listener gets hooked on e(v)olocity's clever compositions. Track three, "Save Me," is a radio-friendly, rocking metal number with rhythmic lurchings reminiscent of Tool and the poignant chorus, "God, save me from your followers." That song is followed by "Duh Wayne," another heavy hitter, this time with a hint of horns, where singer Aaron smartly wails, "You've got your rap 'n' roll/So stop bitching about the cold/'cause we're all going down in lames." The next song, "Herbie," has some clever lyrics, packed with smart end rhymes and dizzying delivery — it's not rap, but it shares the genre's vocal rhythms. That ditty's followed by "Natural Drag," which opens with a luscious, thumping drum sequence and spirals into a fast-paced Alice in Chains-ish number. With clean production by Bill Kennedy (Megadeth, Nine Inch Nails, Filter) and a spot between Motörhead and Metallica on Hardradio.com's "One Hour Playlist," e(v)olocity songs are more radio-ready than a car commercial.