Delightfully predictable and thus feverishly indulgent, Tetrarch return armed with another dose of millennial teenage angst, tapping into a personal unwritten nostalgia. The Ugly Side Of Me could have slipped into the turn of the millennium's music scene, a guaranteed hit. As their tightest record to date, these nine pure Nu Metal tracks revel in the Korn The Serenity Of Suffering take on electrified creepy melody and sonic syncopated groove.
Fused with Josh Fore's uncanny Chester Bennington harmonization, the downtrodden, plain faced lyrics hit a tuneful cadence to elevate emotional pains to anthemic levels. Sadly, it lyricism falls shy of greatness but that's likely in my lack of connection to these raw hurtful woes. Their chorus melodies ring of with a shiver reminiscent of the many deeply engrained hooks from Hybrid Theory.
Variety lacks but that's hardly the point. Each track hits with punchy, high octane energy, rolling between brief looping twisted melodies and slamming Nu Metal dropped tuning guitar grooves. Only Best Of Luck stands out for its instinctual post Gold Cobra Wes Borland influences. Given not a single track stetches past four minutes, these numbers make themselves known, not out staying their welcome.
That sharp focus keeps each spin fresh. After a brief binge I feel like this half hour of power will be fun to return to, knowing my teenage self would have lapped this up like a fiend. The singles seem to be the better buts but the margins are fine. With time I'll better figure out my favorites but I have a feeling this one wins the album experience.
Rating: 7/10