POINT OF ORIGIN
ALLELE is the coming together of former COLD guitarist Kelly Hayes and
former OTEP guitarist Lane Maverick, and as you might expect,
Point Of Origin
sounds like what you might hear if you put Cold and Otep in a
centrifuge, and spun them around in circles really fast until they
became one cohesive unit. I'd actually pay good money to watch
musicians get spun around in a centrifuge. For no other reason than I
think it would be incredibly funny.
There is a hefty Cold influence on
Point Of Origin;
a lot of very sullen, gloomy melody lines, and singer Wally Wood sounds
a lot like Cold frontman Scooter Ward...save for the times that he's
shouting like he's getting his vocal cords ripped out with salad tongs.
The musicianship is solid, and I'm a big fan of artists who actually
learn how to play their instruments before stepping onto a stage. I was
never a fan of the sloppy playing that dominates a lot of the screamo
bands. Allele's songwriting is definitely consistent with current rock
trends, and I think rock radio would pick up on "Closer To Habit" and
"A Different Someone". The thing is that as musical trends go, the one
that Allele most comfortably fits with has been around for a while, so
I am curious to see how this band fares in subsequent releases.
Overall, I'm really impressed with
Point Of Origin;
the band sounds seasoned, and this does not sound like a debut release,
which it is. If they can adapt with the often-turbulent trends that
occupy much of rock music, Allele should be around for many more
releases.
