To look at Adema's formation, one can clearly understand the group's initial vision for uniting together. Featuring former members of Videodrone and Juice, and a then unknown vocalist whose sole claim to fame was being the half-brother of Jonathan Davis, those who expected anything other than watered down Korn were bound to be disappointed. Luckily Adema sprouted wings just as the aforementioned band retreated from the spotlight, resulting in a debut album adorned with lukewarm radio hits and a jaded teenage following. Since then Korn have returned to the limelight, and these fellow Bakersfield, CA residents have opted to streamline their sound, looking to establish their own distinct voice with this arduous sophomore effort.

Adema seem to struggle when it comes to expressing their concerns, offering hard rock tirades directed at abusive relationships ("Co-Dependent", "Stand Up"), painful break-ups ("Blame Me") and breakdowns ("Stressin' Out"), yet their infantile song-writing lacks the sincerity or depth to provide these songs with the necessary emotional weight. When the band aren't brooding over such topics, they have the tendency to churn out such insipid cuts as "So Fortunate", a song where frontman Mark Chavez waxes poetic about his young son. Acknowledging his pride as a father and being grateful for it is a novel concept, yet Chavez's grating delivery leaves little for inspiration. While his vocal wail has acclimated itself to hard rock airwaves, and he has clearly moved away from the vicious Korn vocal patterns that once consumed him, it has to be said that his singing just doesn't boast the strength or passion needed to pull off such songs. When dealing with such subject matter one would be expected to sound thankful and exuberant yet Chavez instead sounds detached, letting what little emotion he has drain from the song as quickly as it's injected. Musically this is an uninspiring affair, regurgitating all the expected riffage found on prior efforts with additional emphasis on mood-setting electronica, and it is virtually impossible to judge whether or not these men have grown musically at all since their formation. "Needles" is the album's quintessential aggro explosion, an area the band have never experimented with to this extent, yet after listening to this caustic diatribe against drug abuse one may beg for the release heroin may give. As such, "Unstable" leaves you wondering what exactly has been accomplished, if anything, and a feeling of emptiness at the flaccid musical numbers just flung at you.

"Unstable" is an album that clearly reflects it's very title, as it's bi-polar song structure fluctuates from raging nu-metal bombs to airy acoustic ballads that lack the necessary substance to connect emotionally with the listener. The group show confidence in Chavez's limited vocal abilities and attempt to nurture his voice in an effort to tap unmined territory, but such attempts are in vain. Whether it be his strained, wavering singing or forced vocal blasts, Chavez has been left painfully exposed and as such the vast majority of this album collapses beneath his limp lyrical cliches and tepid mic skills. By shedding their Korn-lite appeal and relying upon their own innate talents, Adema have somehow been reduced to a mere echo of their former selves, baring their flaws for all to see. This is an album that finds the band at a crossroads, unsure where the future lays. If these men cannot decide upon a concrete direction and show the competence to bring a satisfying vision to fruition, unstable will not be their only fitting description, as a prolonged musical career would also be quite unlikely.