Powerman 5000 were originally set to release their new album, then titled "Anyone For Doomsday", back in 2001 - except they pulled the plug on it and canned it just weeks before its original release date. While that aforementioned opus didn't stray too far from the space-age electronic metal that the band perfected with "Tonight The Stars Revolt!"; "Transform" instead sounds almost like an entirely different band all together. A back to basics rock album of sorts, "Transform" is based upon bare-bones rock and driving rhythms that make no attempt at hiding their hooky nature.

With anthem-like choruses and droning aggression, the band attempt to push onward and upward as they strut through the albums 13 tracks like Rob Zombie jamming with the Ramones. This creative momentum shift is also entirely prevalent in nearly every aspect of the band, from image to lyrical content. The first words spoken in "Theme To A Fake Revolution" are "I'm not a spaceman, but on the other hand I never really did fit in this world." and this pretty much sums up the record. Sounding more like 80's new wave clashing with raw rock n roll and traces of nu-metal, the band seem to have abandoned their spaceship and come back down to earth with enough impact to leave them with a case of amnesia, or at the very least mistaken identity. Catchy choruses and an edgy stadium rock swagger are what are entirely prevalent on this effort and while it generally works to their favor, its lack of diversity and identity become considerable obstacles as the album continues on.

Where the band were once quirky and even intricate in days past, they now seem content at merely laying down solid grooves that soon become flattened under the weight of the behemoth rock attitude and slow progression on hand here. True it can be catchy and it is not without charm, but it also quite turgid and drab in contrast to the energy and tenacity of their past efforts. While 1997's "Mega!! Kung Fu Radio" is often cited as an underground classic, you can pretty much guarantee that "Transform" will never attain such a status. Yes its a fast-paced husky rock album with occasionally enjoyable moments, but in the end that's all it is and nothing more. Perhaps they shouldn't have been so quick to scratch sci-fi or funky comic book subculture from their playbooks.