Review Summary: Jamey Jasta makes first solo venture with much of the same as we have heard before.
If you claim to be a fan of contemporary metal and hardcore you will have doubtless heard the name Jamey Jasta; frontman of metallic hardcore royalty Hatebreed as well as other projects such as Kingdom Of Sorrow (his partnership with sludge stalwart Kirk Windstein) as well as owning clothing lines, record companies and being a true figure head for contemporary heavy music, Jasta is without a doubt one of modern metal's true icons.
Jasta is Jamey's first solo album.
So what approach has Jasta taken on his first solo album? Often solo albums are an opportunity to try out something relatively new and outside of ones comfort zone, to experiment and expand ones horizons. So Jamey Jasta, frontman of metallic hardcorers (is that a word?) Hatebreed has taken the opportunity to make a solo album of...metallic hardcore, genius! Whilst is has to be said that this is a more metal sounding affair with more similarities to American bands such as Chimaira or Five Finger Death Punch; this also isn't a hugely radical shift from Jamey's day job. This does beg the question then as to what the point of this album is other than a chance to get his mates on record with him.
This isn't a huge criticism however as for the most part
Jasta is decent and a lot of fun, and a reinvention of the wheel was hardly likely to be on the cards anyway was it? This is an American style contemporary metal album that we are very familiar with and nothing more. Album opener 'Walk That Path Alone' sets the tone of the album right from the off with a no nonsense, pit ready might, with Jasta's roaring shouty vocal approach sounding very strong, then *BAM* its done, next song. 1st single 'Mourn The Illusion' follows this and has the same blueprint; nothing new, but not round for very long. In fact none of the songs here are any where near long players, 'Nothing They Say' is the longest by far at just over 4 minutes.
The first half of the album is very samey and whilst undoubtedly fun lacks any real highlights other than the huge and stomping 'Screams From The Sanctuary', otherwise it is very samey, and at times it sounds almost identical to Five Finger Death Punch; Jamey's clean vocals particularly sound like FFDP frontman Ivan Moody at times such as 'Nothing They Say' (which even sporting a FFDP guitarist Jason Hook sounding guitar solo) and 'Set Adrift'.
The second half is where it gets more interesting, with some strong collaborations. All That Remains' Phil Labonte's vocals elevate 'Something You Should Know' from being simply mediocre, Randy Blythe of Lamb Of God adds a dangerous edge to 'Enslaved, Dead Or Depraved', whilst the presence of guitar virtuoso Zakk Wylde on second single 'The Fearless Must Endure' creates the albums strongest song by a country mile. So
Jasta is nothing that we haven't heard before, it is simply a fun, modern, American style metal record, and that will do nicely.
Recommended: Screams From The Sanctuary, Enslaved, Dead Or Depraved, The Fearless Must Endure
