Height of Callousness
Look beyond the headline-grabbing shock-rockers and public enemies that populate the thriving sphere of nu metal, and there's an often fascinating legion of young pretenders desperately eager to set the agenda. Spineshank, however, appear to have forgotten that it takes a little more than misanthropic attitude and clunky samplers to spar with anAntichrist Superstar. Sure,The Height of Callousnessworks the industrial hip-hop template for all it's worth (sometimeRage Against the Machineproducer GGGarth works the controls), but with the likes of "New Disease" and "Cyanide 2600" offering precious little content between their clichés, this album begs to be pigeonholed. When this stuff works--see the electrified taboo pantomime of Static X'sWisconsin Death Trip, or the heavy black gothic mass of NIN'sThe Downward Spiral--it's because there's a splendidly contrary charismatic ringmaster running the whole bleak circus. Here? Well, let's just say that all this negativity isn't making any positives.--Louis Pattison