Made up of members of In Flames, Gardenian and Transport League, Passenger may at first glance seem to be just another thrash super-group. This is not the case however, as these four men have united in an attempt to broaden their musical horizons. Heavily influenced by the likes of Helmet, Depeche Mode and The Tea Party, Passenger is essentially meant as an escape for these metal mavens to perform a style of music that would seem all too absurdly mainstream for their own respective bands. Unfortunately their vision is more intriguing then their subsequent debut album; a collection of hit-or-miss European alt. metal tunes that lack the necessary emotional depth to connect with the listener.

This is atmospheric pop music with heavy metal inclinations, stimulating your animalistic desires while delivering an up-tempo pace that leaves the listener humming quietly to themselves. Anders Friden shows his expansive range as a vocalist, delving into more melodramatic emotions with surprisingly dynamic clean singing, proving that there is more to his talent then In Flames displays. His unique vocal wail sounds like an unusual collaboration between David Bowie and U2's Bono on "Circles", one of the album's most accomplished cuts, and it is here that the listener can briefly witness what Passenger are intent on mastering. It is all that much more disappointing that the vast majority of this album misses it's intended mark and instead collapses underneath it's "nu-metal" song structures and melancholy emptiness.

These musicians rightfully deserve respect for opting to form this side project rather then trying to manipulate their metal standings for such a simple pleasure, yet the end results of this pop/rock longing leaves little lasting impression. The songs found here are rich in accessible hooks yet retain a European metal edge, distancing themselves from their inspirations but never quite impacting in the manner the band may wish for them to. Instead this disc feels like watered down Soilwork at best (albeit with more attention to soaring electronic overdubs and pop songwriting), and at worst this quartet resemble a sullen Taproot with Euro-pop eccentricities. While there is a certain flair that is hard to resist, this outing is adorned with far too much drab filler to be either memorable or remarkably original. This in turn leaves the listener as nothing more than a mere passenger along for the ride, never quite allowed more than a glimpse at the musical sceneries fluttering past the window.