Nullset managed to generate a substantial amount of buzz throughout their native New England area scene under their previous moniker, Gangsta Bitch Barbie. When stepping up to a bigger label however, the bands name drew the ire of a certain toy manufacturer and as such, Nullset was born. But other than the name, nothing has changed as they swing forth like a wrecking ball, impacting everything in their sight with their edgy brand of rapcore that can bring to mind the likes of old Powerman 5000 combined with Limp Bizkit and Reveille.

Sounding like an amalgamation of Powerman 5000's Spider and Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst, band frontman Ken Smith consistently belts out clever rhymes, most often attacking the cliche's of pop culture and other aspects of life, through a cynical yet for the most part positive outlook. Backed up by some unhinged Lynn Strait of Snot reminiscent screams, the vocal portion of the CD is well executed and manages to keep the listeners attention buzzing. The guitar playing laid down here slashes out with heady riffs coupled with a very Korn-ish aesthetic, using grating harmonics and drop tuned lunges to create an audio aggression that is pugnacious and cutting edge. There's a bit more of a funk influence in place for the basslines, using a wealth of stunted plucks and hits to give the bulk of the songs an almost poignant feel that is only amplified by the fairly straight forward drum work, which tends to keep things simple and stripped down, utilizing a truckload of catchy hip-hop styled beats to ensure focus and momentum.

A few songs featured on this effort are re-worked versions of some of the bands older material and their latest incarnations show off a definite direction of progression, while also remaining faithful to their original ideas. The music as a whole is also chockfull of an underlying anger and subsequently fit accordingly with an infantry of aggro/new metal riffs which keep the adrenaline flowing. Some of the material is insanely catchy, such as the first single "Smokewood", which uses an oddly timed almost Rage Against The Machine sounding guitar riff with pounding 808 hits to get the listeners head bobbing. Another standout track is "H Bone", which launches into a scathing outlook upon selling out and the music industry as a whole, hitting with the hook, "don't be mad at me, when I'm on MTV, get my mp3". There's also a fair amount of variation from song to song, with nearly every cut included sounding energetic and full of authentic emotion. Unfortunately though, overall, the style of music the band play has been done by many and even though they excel at what they set out to do, they don't necessarily offer enough innovation or new ideas to clearly push this album ahead of the ever-growing pack. If a rock solid pairing of rap and metal is exactly what you so require, then Nullset come more than recommended. But for those who have cut their teeth on the genre and want a little something more, skipping this effort might be a wiser choice.