Evolution

Audio Mixer: Ulrich Wild.
Recording information: 37 Studios, MI; Big Sky Studios, Eagle, Idaho; Filthy Hands Studios, OH; Goldsmith Studios, Louisville, KY.
Their first album for their new label, Pavement Entertainment, nu-metal stalwarts (hed) p.e. return with a more driving, less rap-heavy sound for their tenth album, Evolution. While it might be a byproduct of their parting ways with Suburban Noize, it's a beneficial one that reinvigorates the band's sound. It feels as though the band has found their heavy side again, though they're still willing to color outside the lines with a suite of reggae jams to bring the album to a chilled-out conclusion. With a mix of driving metal, occasional grooves, and the expected political messages, Evolution delivers everything (hed) p.e. fans have come to expect from the elder statesmen of rap-rock. ~ Gregory Heaney