Bobaflex hailing from West Virginia have created a record that on the face of it seems nothing more than a novel gimmick. It's only natural to be sceptical of any band that assumes a futuristic sci-fi moniker or come highly acclaimed by Shifty Shellshock of Crazy Town, not to mention that the very utterance of rapcore is enough to turn anyone off after the glut of bands that followed in the wake of the late 90's. In summary, think of a nu metal version of Insane Clown Posse with the same level of irreverent and sometimes borderline humor vocals. If you are still reading at this point then you may have the persistence required to realise that Bobaflex have one saving grace, that being their ability to throw many elements into the mix with a general disregard of the rule book.

Bands that build up a strong local fan base are frequent and do so for one of two reasons. One being that it is an otherwise starved music scene crying out for anything, and secondly, that real talent exists that can be ported to a national scene where choice exists. Now, even a very cynical reviewer such as myself has to admit that Bobaflex are more than just your talented local act, sure they are pedalling a genre in which listeners attitudes have shifted hugely in recent years but Bobaflex have sufficient quirkiness and general unpredictability between songs to be compared to acts such as System Of A Down. The vocals are incredibly diverse with rough street sounding vocals playing off against harmonic and rap styles. They have the ability to create anthemic songs like "Bobaflex Warriors" which are both catchy and pummeling while songs like "Tears Drip" offer a more than credible serious tone and some would argue that singing about distant planets and the future offers welcome light relief to the socially conscious vocals of System or Rage.

This is a band that are up against all odds but actually doing things the right way through solid touring and which have the ability over time to gain public consciousness. Once the stereotypes of rap rock are broken down people may take the time to seek out new acts in this genre and perhaps then Bobaflex may get their two minutes of fame just like Shifty Shellshock before them. It's rap rock jim, but not as we know it!