Tantric
Days of the Newhit with the singles "Touch, Peel and Stand" and "Shelf in the Room." But they were a band in name only, and when singer Travis Meeks dumped his bandmates, it was a blessing in disguise for the musicians. Now, ex-DOTN members Todd Whitener (guitar), Jesse Vest (bass), and Matt Taul (drums) have a stellar, if sometimes mumbling, singer in Hugo Ferreira, and as Tantric, carry on the heavy acoustic-rock tradition they started in DOTN. Overall, Tantric's dozen-song debut is rather linear, with many of the songs more vibe-y than distinctive, though there are a few standouts. While the disc's first single, "Breakdown," is spare, midtempo, heavy-mellow, and typical of the album as a whole, departures include "Frequency," with its faster, angrier approach, and "Paranoid," with a cool fuzzy bass tone and ominous vocal delivery. The classical guitar stylings and diverse and welcome vocal inflections make the lighter and dynamic "Hate Me" likeable, while the complexities of "Revillusion" also add interest. Ultimately akin to a less dour Alice in Chains meets Creed, Tantric's solid songs are certainly the radio sound du jour, and possibly of tomorrow as well.--Katherine Turman