Burn Season haven't had much luck during their relatively short tenure as a band. Just a few years back the group had signed a deal with Elektra, only to be dumped shortly after due to a roster cull by the upper brass. Thus, without a major release to their name, the band retreated and regrouped, only to now return with their self-titled bow for Bieler Bros. Records.

But while challenges like the above would surely have tested the strength of the group as a unit, the biggest test looks to still lie ahead. Armed with an explosive collection of radio ready songs heavy on nu-metal overtones ala Five.Bolt.Main, TRUSTcompany and others; the tracks this band have crafted are punchy, yet suffer heavily from a lack of individuality. To further compound their troubles, the standard formula taken is that of a melodic chorus paired with large chunky riffs and snarling verses.

Now it's not that the band are bad songwriters, as their structuring is competent by any means. It's just that they seem to be a bit short-sighted, failing to throw in any twists and turns. If that wasn't enough, where most of their peers have gone a more organic and traditional route, Burn Season have instead chosen to remain big and bossy with a commanding performance that packs almost too much bravado and aggression to sound sincere.

Sure there are some acoustic ballads, sullen crooning and even some piano, but these elements are sadly predictable overall. Simply put, the saturation point for this style of hard rock was reached quite some time ago. With little risks and an all too compacted approach, "Burn Season" just quickly fades into a blur akin to adjusting the dial of an fm radio.