Origin:	Canada
Genres:

Last update/review:	January 27, 2008

Inner Surge

A project founded by a Canadian by the name of Steve Moore, Inner Surge is an odd band indeed. Repeated listens to Matrika, the groups's second effort (and the first recorded as a band, as the debut Solus Verum was recorded solely by Moore) reveal no easy way to describe what Inner Surge is all about. Stylistically, the band is all over the map, ranging from a choppy metal style to the odd hip-hop stylings of "The Deepest Wound" to a computeristic/industrial vibe on "Silencer" to a Nine Inch Nails keyboaard riff on "Bury The Evidence", alongside straight metal and other influences (punk is often mentioned by others, but to these ears there's nothing resembling punk in the traditional sense here). There are times where Moore's vocals are a dead ringer for Serj Tankian of System Of A Down (SOAD is also an occasional musical soundalike, but only occasionally), though at other times he's a bit more melodic and controlled. Also like SOAD, Moore's lyrics are often political and/or tied to social issues of the day. This is one of the more diverse and interesting albums to emerge in some time -- though it's probably safe that not everyone will like every song, there's literally something for everyone here, and the band manages to do this without losing primary focus. Moore and company could go far with this project.