5-Line Legacy's 7 song debut gives a much needed breath of fresh air into the burgeoning Canadian heavy music scene and takes great strides in a new direction with a wealth of engaging creativity and fresh ideas. Sounding like a cross between the Guano Apes, Dub War and the legendary Bad Brains, the band confidently takes the ball and runs with it, infusing all of these influences with some unexpected elements such as drum and bass and modern metal.

Vocally, a reggae styled accent thickly coats the songs causing them to sound like a female version of the Bad Brains, but rather than being a throwback to the old school, the verbal aspect of this CD sways through full on melody similar to the Guano Apes and in the blink of an eye instantly launches into an accomplished rapcore technique that's closest comparison would probably be the ill-fated aggro-dub pioneers Dub War. Heavy without spreading herself too thin, band frontwoman Tracy sounds right at home and although she expresses herself through varied styles and unorthodox verbal patterns, she couldn't sound more at home. Guitars are downtuned and gritty with clever aggro metal styled riffs that convey a seething aggression, heightened through the use of entrancing effects and jagged riffs. The distortion is raw and direct, but the approach taken is by no means one-sided as a handful of other ideas are tossed into the mix including reggae styled chord patterns and spacey foreign sounding squawks and squeals. Bass is dense and assertively guides the songs with heavy dub and funk overtones through the more defined moments of the band's music, but can still manage to get dirty with heavy handed notes that fit in seamlessly with the crunchy guitar. Drums are concise in nature and are proficient in many styles from a heady metalcore sound all the way to drum and bass styled snare improvisation, and that along with their moderate tuning makes them a talented and mature inclusion to the band's sound.

The groups melting pot of sounds is pulled off smoothly and despite the fact that the styles they stitch together are widely assorted, the parts fit perfectly. Making music that is edgy and full of rage while still managing to be soothing and interesting is a task not easily achieved, but the band have done just that and in the process have fearlessly treaded into areas not even contemplated by their contemporaries. The material is energetic and foreboding and the mood it sets is dark and laid back, yet oddly it still feels refreshing and as such this CD comes as a recommended listen on the strength of its innovation alone. Although there are some minor flaws here and there with a track or two that seemingly lack direction and wind up not hitting on anything really solid, overall the EP is colorful and enjoyable enough to overlook these problems. 5-Line Legacy have created a startlingly rhythmic debut that is sure to catch the ears of many, and as if the skilled musicianship wasn't enough, the fact that the band are doing something that sounds entirely unique should be enough to entice all who are seeking something different from the rapidly stagnating crop of bands trying to make a name for themselves in the underground scene.
(4 / 5)