From Zero's major label debut brings to light a new direction for the band as they shed their layer of raw skin for one that is sleek and polished with a touch of vibrant color. While the groups earlier demos found them expressing themselves with brute riffs and melody intertwined with ferocious screams, the end result here seems to show off a new found restraint, resulting in a bigger emphasis on melody with the rough ends being cut off and stitched together into a sharply designed musical garment. Decidedly a strain of new metal similar to the likes of Nonpoint or Skrape with a generous helping of harmony akin to say the Smashing Pumpkins, this Chicago based five piece stir up an invigorating blend of genres that has a slightly unique flavor.

Frontman Jett's melodic croons are at the forefront of this effort as he effortlessly spins out winding verses and choruses with his warm voice that always manages to maintain a slight aggressive edge underneath, which allows him to never sound weak or overtly poppy. Combining his parts with the occasional throaty outburst or full on scream, his style is quite intriguing and in the end its his vocal contributions which help this band establish a sound that is quite distinctive when compared to that of their contemporary new metal compatriots. Guitar work seems to draw heavily from the modern metal scene, using crunchy riffs that are laced with a crisp distortion and an at times sludgy playing style that is accentuated by the occasional effect laden build up or sonic experiment. Bass playing is quite in tune to both the guitars and drums and provides a deep rumble with ample scale progressions that add a well placed thickness to the bands overall sound while percussion is quite charged up and explodes with edgy snare and tom roll variations which compliment the voracious beats that hold the tempo in check, while also aligning themselves quite impressively with the guitar and bass to form one of the more rock solid rhythm units to have emerged in recent memory. There's also a bit of an electronic element at play here as subwoofer imploding 808 bass drops litter a handful of the songs, adding a bit of depth and surprise to the otherwise organic mixture.

The band have definitely put their songs under the microscope and those who have heard a few of the tracks included here in their previous incarnations may be a bit disappointed at the changes made. It seems as though each song has been paved out for a very smooth ride and though that is a good thing in most regards, it does tend to take away from the unexpected dynamic changes the group did so well in the past. Still, its not to say that the band have abandoned their style or their creativity for that matter, but rather that they've just more or less scoured down their sound to what could be considered, the juicy core, snipping away a good portion of their once present aggro side in the process, though their now more prevalent melodic aspects are indeed talented enough to help ease the brunt. Interesting ideas are abound here though, with aggressive songs like the infectious number, "Tomorrow's Light" and the equally as compelling, "Suffering", not to mention the curious swing/stomp groove of "Jeer". But despite there being a few tracks which sharply stand out, the bulk of material does begin to bleed into each other, using song structures and changes which are a bit too similar as a whole. In the end, From Zero are a solid entrant into the fight for the modern metal crown and with a fairly wide range and a good handle on emotion they have a sound that is more than capable of getting the job done. Sure, some of their older fans may feel a bit let down at the glossy renovations shown here, but with a whole nation waiting to be conquered and put under From Zero's influence, it would seem that such a direction is most likely for the best.