Ambionic had a surprisingly enjoyable release in the form of their last outing, 2001's "The Spaces In Between", and as such some heavy expectations will be placed upon them with this outing. Showcasing the band finding their own identity and stepping away from the heavy A Perfect Circle styled influence that permeated their last offering, this demo sees the band stepping into a sound that is more reminiscent of early 90's post New York hardcore, bringing to mind the likes of Handsome or perhaps even say Sunny Day Real Estate rather than the works of Keenan and co.

Flowing melodic vocals flush with heavy hearted resolve take the reigns and steer the tracks into some interesting directions. Utilizing ascensive buildups and clever structuring, they work quite closely with the timing of the instruments and are liable to catch more than a few listeners off guard with their calculated yet humble approach. Guitar wise the band jut out some crunchy lightly distorted riffs and also indulge in a few intricate spacey harmonies throughout the duration of the disc. Mildly aggressive in general, the sonic contributions are essentially magnified by a firm bass performance that doubles up the riffing with some graceful low end sways, adding a distinct depth that plays right into the hands of the methodically dense percussion which cleverly punctuates the tracks.

With more time spent together and less distinct influences present the band suitable sound more mature on this offering, proving it to be fairly big step for them overall. The songs are moody and downtrodden while also offering a sense of hope and though they can sometimes sacrifice momentum for the sake of their own progressive melancholy, they often do catch the listeners ear with their cunning sense of timing. Still, pros aside this album does suffer from some setbacks, the most prevalent of which is the that the band don't entirely seem comfortable with their new direction as of yet. While they are no doubt competent enough to write and perform the style of music, the way the songs are constructed suggest that they are still undergoing a bit of a trial and error process which leaves some of the material feeling a tad flat. There's also a certain lack of dynamics which is usually the result of each song consistently moving forward without any dramatic breaks or pauses, leaving the effort to become a bit monotonous after repeated listens. No doubt the band will overcome such hurdles in the future but until then they might have trouble completely winning over fans in the present jaded musical climate.