ANTINOMY

Brahman are sometimes praised for their supposed use of the native influence in their music, but their main strength is the rock part of their sound — which dominates on Antinomy by far, anyway. You need to seriously stretch things to find any genuinely Eastern melodies on this record: Brahman specializes in the simple metal/punk crossover that's ten times heavier than an average J-punk band — this is not dressed-up blink-182, this is Greg Graffin or even the Dead Kennedys fraternizing with Motörhead and Sevendust. At least that's what the band does until the mood sets in, after that they allow themselves to lighten up a little. There's still enough tension, though, between the drum waterfalls and the menacing guitar lines, not to mention the hoarse growl of Toshi-Low, who won't be winning over bubbly high school girls any time soon. The band does give in and write a poppy hit on the occasion ("Oneness"), but try as they might ("You Don't Live Here Anymore"), they aren't Beat Crusaders. And they don't need to be. Brahman excels at the sort of songs that combine the adrenaline rush with the rough, raw guitar textures which received just the right amount of touching up to shift from hardcore noise to stompy melodies. Those looking for a quick hook fix will walk away from Antinomy with a feeling of disappointment, but those ready to take the CD for what it is will find it a refreshing and electrifying listen.