Dead Man In Reno – S/T / 2006 Candlelight / 10 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/deadmaninreno / http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com / Reviewed 13 October 2006

Dead Man in Reno starts out their self-titled album with a track that blends Pantera-like metal with the type of screaming hardcore that has gained in popularity the last few years. The two styles work together, even if this first track (“To Attain Everything”) does not have the hooks or the catchiness necessary to bring in listeners to the band’s camp. This trend is continued through the disc’s first full track, “From Here I Can See The Shore”. There is no doubt that Dead Man In Reno has a tremendous amount of skill imbued in each of the band mate’s instruments, but there just seems to be a lack of cohesion that hamstrings the band throughout the vast majority of this disc.

The one thing that Dead Man in Reno does not do (and individuals should be happy that they do not do it) is intersperse a more “emo” set of vocals during the tracks on the self-titled album. By not including this second set of vocals, the sanctity of the brutality that Dead Man In Reno brings to the table is kept. “Cursed” is another step up for Dead Man in Reno; while the genre sound of the track is nearly the same as the rest of the tracks on the disc, the inclusion of speedy double bass drums to the track makes the song into something much more memorable. “Even in My Dreams” continues to show that Dead Man in Reno want their second half of the disc to be the side of innovation.

During “Even in My Dreams”, Dead Man in Reno kick into a thrash-like section that has few parallels. Still, for the next few Dead Man in Reno albums, what needs to be done is that the band should pick up a few more styles, a few more innovations of the types that are heard during the second half of the disc. The more emotive chorus that is present in the aforementioned “Even in My Dreams” sounds to be out of place, considering the fact that the band has built up this persona through pretty much the rest of the disc. Still, there are number of interesting facets of Dead Man in Reno that individuals will easily be able to pick out. The band may not be at the cutting edge of innovation all the time, but there are enough minor shifts and changes to keep individuals listening to the disc.

Top Tracks: He Said She Said, Cursed

Rating: 5.7/10

[JMcQ]