HARDWARES

Primarily influenced by Alice In Chains and Black Sabbath, Southern California’s Blackbrew tap the keg that is their self-titled debut with aggressive opener ‘Morbid Rage’. The rough and gruff vocals of Kurt Loun give way to a more pronounced singing approach on ‘Last Chapter’ where he’s accompanied by female crooner Joanne Allen, who appears on seven of the album’s ten tracks. Another unexpected stylistic change occurs on the funkified jazz number ‘In Loving Memory’. One of the heavier songs, ‘Society’s Whore’, features numerous guitar squeals, leading one to believe that six-stringer Bill Lima (who’s since left the band) must be a big Zakk Wylde fan. The production – handled by Kurt and drummer Mike Ikona – leaves the CD sounding like a demo in progress rather than a professionally finished product. Both the tough as nails ‘I Am The One’ and the power ballad ‘Why Me’ are packed with potential, but currently lack the polish and shine necessary to alleviate them to a level where labels will be interested.