Spineshank Anger Denial Acceptance

Spineshank waste little time in spelling out their intentions with “Anger Denial Acceptance“—the groups first studio album since 2003’s “Self Destructive Pattern“. If this collection of songs seem to be after anything, it would be hard rock radio success.

Targeting the Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed etc. audience; the band expel a considerable helping of aggressive chest pounding and punchy riffs. But if anything the anger only winds up serving as foil for the predictably hooky melodic chorus that follows.

One can’t fault the group for taking their shot at commercial success. But it becomes a concern when the attempt to attain it feels more like desperation than determination. The dated nu metal styled guitar lunges, plus the stark lack of the industrial overtones they once bathed themselves in, don’t exactly help plead their case either.

The formula is quite clearly heavy verse and sappy chorus. Beyond that there is little here to distinguish the group from the rest of the Afflictioncore crowd, sans a touch more heaviness. In fact, the lack of creativity becomes impossible to ignore by the time the song “The Reckoning” rolls around. That particular track bears more than a passing resemblance to Refused‘s “The Deadly Rhythm“. Homage or not, it just simply feels tacky.

In the end, identity is the biggest problem for “Anger Denial Acceptance“. A forced sounding album stuffed with generic song structures and well worn ideas that do little but repeat themselves ad nauseum. Diehard fans won’t find much to celebrate on this return as it is largely devoid of pathos. While jaded listeners will be left wondering if boredom was the fourth step the band left out of the title.