Freax

Freax, it seems, regard themselves as scarier and more disturbing than they are in actuality. Sure, the band's family tree, which includes a Brazilian metal band and Life of Agony, suggests unadulterated heaviness, but Freax settles into industrial-tinged electronica for the majority of their self-titled album. There are the remnants of straight up heavy metal — like the guitar break on "Big Pop Food" — but for the most part, Freax pairs dark ambient music with downtempo techno. Life of Agony singer Keith Caputo allows his vocals to groan just beneath the surface — almost spoken — for much of the record, and combined with the burping electronic textures and industrial guitars (on "Thief of Charm," for example) — Freax comes off like a lighter Nine Inch Nails. "Human Comedy," which is certainly the most original track, hardly fits with its Caribbean groove and gentle strumming, but suggests the most viable direction for Freax — a mix of world music psychedelics and industrial fervor.