Short Bus drive their music home with what could be described a cross between standard rapcore meets a new metal sound that features the usual edge of fiery aggression and dynamics fans have come to know and love from the various bands who have done music in this vein in the past. But still, even though it's not groundbreaking, these boys manage to throw in a few surprises here and there that although don't exactly revolutionize the genre, do help make the disc an interesting listen.
Vocally the band brings to mind a mix of Juice, Superheist, Korn and Five Pointe 0 and when considering the talent of the vocalists of the aforementioned bands, you can expect a cathartic release of emotion done right on this demo which is definitely highlighted overall by the oral performances included within. As far as guitar work and bass lines go, its more along the lines of your standard fare with downtuned growls and tripped out effects that are coupled with grating guitar riffs that come well versed within the contemporary trends, though they do at times show a modest amount of originality and skill. The music is also littered with intimidating percussion that syncopates with rumbling bass notes, making the back end solid with heavy overtones of Korn's earlier works.
As a whole, the music the band creates is enjoyable yet it seems almost criminal to interrupt the entrancing Deftones meets Juice hums and moans which show up on the more down-tempo cut "See-Thru", with raps which although are competent, tend to steal from the general mood and ambiance the songs build upon in their unfiltered moments. Unfortunately, this is a trend that continues throughout the 5 tracks included here and though its not necessarily a bad thing, the band exhibits a lot more talent when they aren't just busting out with the typical aggressive raps. With this being the case, hopefully by the next time they load up on the bus with a new release, they won't impose handicaps upon themselves and will explore the more compelling aspects of the music they are able to give birth to.
(3.5 / 5)
