Customer Reviews

Height Of Callousness

5 star:		(83)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Spineshank's debut disc `strictly diesel' was a competent and well-produced collection of Fear Factory/ Deftones style songs, that didn't quite have that special x-factor that makes a band successful, which is quite a shame as this lot are an excellent live band. Thankfully `The height of callousness' is a major improvement over its predecessor. This album has more melody than before and whereas the first album only hinted at an industrial/ techno influence, it is more prominent on this album. Although I mentioned melody, don't think this album is inoffensive pop because `Asthmatic' and the title track are two of the most intense and heavy tracks the band have produced and will appeal to Slipknot fans, while `Synthetic', `Seamless' and `Negative Space' show off the more melodic side of the band. This album isn't quite perfect, a couple of songs pass by but make very little impact and the sound is still very reminiscent of other bands. But, saying that, it's good to see that the band didn't take the easy (and trendy) option of adding a hip-hop element to their sound and this is far superior to a lot of the fake and contrived nu-metal released recently. Good stuff.

Proving to the metal community that the 'sophomore slump' isn't always inevitable for all bands, Spineshank come out of nowhere with their second album that absolutely kills 'Strictly Diesel' and everything else you're probably listening to right now.

From opener "Asthmatic" to the crushing closer "Transparent," "The Height of Callousness" produces all top-quality intensity with NO filler material whatsoever. Spineshank have pulled all the stops and obviously put a great deal of effort into this album and it shows - there's not a bad song to speak of, save parts of "Cyanide 2600" which is just a little too industrial/hardcore for my tastes and doesn't really flow well with the rest of the songs. My vote for best track here is tied between "Synthetic" and "New Disease," but they all rip.

Now here's the part where I stop writing and you go buy this CD. You'll thank me later.

After all of my endless searches for something heavier than Rob Zombie, with tons of screaming, fast heaving guitars, techno-fusion, and melodic at the same time, I have finally found it! Theres no way to describe the sound of album in words. It has extremely awesomely heavy guitar riffs where it stops for a second while playing some techno rift, then explodes back in your face with something ten times heavier than before and the lead singer screaming, and it can still be melodic. The lead singer has the perfect voice for the way the music sounds, he can scream and sing in one short breath. This album rises way above albums by Disturbed and Drowning Pool. It has sort of a Static-X feel to it, but much quicker, with a more head-thrashing sound. Beware of the bands debut album, it is horrible. The best songs are ASTHMATIC, HEIGHT OF CALLOUSNESS, SYNTHETIC, NEW DISEASE, and PLAY GOD. The first 4 songs are the heaviest on the album, but the other songs are great too. Its really a shame that this band lives in the shadows of bands such as Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. It doesn't matter to me though, because I live off of underground music. If you like bands such as Limp Bizkit, Static-X, Slipknot, Orgy, Methods of Mayhem, System of a Down, Prodigy, Incubus, Deftones, Korn, Powerman 5000, Rob Zombie, RATM, or [last but not least] LINKIN PARK, you will really like this album. GET IT!

Nu metal is overall a pretty weak genre, however their are some exceptions, and Spineshank, mainly because of their punishing sophomore release "The Height of Callousness" are one of those exceptions. This imported version features one bonus track from the "Synthetic" single titled Full Circle. This song moves the album's length from 37 minutes in length to 40 minutes and therefore it is still a fairly short album. Nevertheless it has plenty of good material. Spineshank combine grumbling bass, with blistering techno charged drum beats, simple but effective guitar driven metal, and some impressive keyboard sequences to take a giant leap foward from the band's reasonable but much criticised debut "Strictly Diesel". The music is heavy and melodic, the songwriting very strong and the vocals display more grunt and aggression then the previous LP. The band has also developed their own signature sound and they found a quality producer in GGGarth (RATM, Kittie, MUDVAYNE). Overall the best tracks are 1,2,3,4,7,8,9,11 and the extra track Full Circle which displays a good mixture of heaviness and melody.

Apparently a digi pack version with four bonus tracks and the videos to "New Disease" and "Synthetic" will be released, so if you haven't bought the album it might be worth waiting a bit longer.

This album proves how much this band has improved. Their debut album had too many deftones and fear factory influences in it but this time the band has sticked to their own sounds. And the thing I liked most about this album is instead of turning weaker and playing rap-style music, this band has turned heavier and the songs in this album are definatly heavier than the songs in strictly diesel. The band has not only matured their music but their skills are much better than what they showed us in their debut album. I'm really glad that this album is not only heavy, but they don't have too many deftones and fear factory influences in it. The songs are pretty different from their first album so people who purchaces this album won't have to worry about having another 'strictly diesel'... Anyways if you're a spineshank fan, you can't miss this album!!! The whole album rules!!!

Spineshank have struck gold with their crunching second release, "The Height of Callousness". While their first album was a well produced piece of work I felt that we were yet to discover what a truly great edition Spineshank are to the nu metal scene. "HOC" displays J.Santos tremendous vocal range,from throat tearing screams to beautiful melodies while the hook laden jagged guitar work & throbbing bass combine well with Tommy Decker's awesome drumming (the double kick pedal is a welcome addition)and Spineshanks mind numbing use of electronics.

The opening two tracks set the pace for the rest of the album, displaying Spineshanks new found maturity, heaviness and melody and combining these elements into an ORIGINAL and truly unique sound. Tracks 1,2,3,4,7,8,9,11 are all standouts but every track is a winner. Spineshank are a band that is set to keep improving and their next release is going to be a killer. Buy this if you like Static-X, System of a Down, snot & Slipknot.

It's nice to find a band that doesn't fall into the rock formula of forgetting their roots on their second album. Not only does Spineshank grow on this release, it is as heavy, if not heavier, than their first album, Strictly Diesel. This album is packed full of raw emotion, intense guitars, and driving beats throughout the entire album. Songs like 'Asthmatic', 'New Disease', and 'Can't Be Fixed' show that Spineshank have lost nothing on this new release. The only discrepancy I have with this album is its brevity, with the total track time coming in at under 40 minutes. Other than that, this album has everything I could have wanted in a second record.

The second release from Spineshank is so much greater than their first
release. While the first release showed off Jonny Santos's vocal
range more (which I do sort of miss in this album), he really sounds
great on this album. His screams sound much better. And the music on
this album is so much better. It is so much more mature. I can
definitely pick up more hints of Fear Factory and Ultraspank in this
album, and it really works for them! Anyone who says that these guys
are Tool clones is sadly mistaken. They sound nothing like Tool!
They have their own distinctive sound, a sound that should appeal to
many fans of hard music. The best songs are Asthmatic, The Height of
Callousness, Synthetic, and Seamless. Cyanide 2600 is the most
industrial that Spineshank have done, but it sounds awesome!!! I wish
I could give this album six stars.

I went through that phase where I really liked Nu-Metal. Of all the Nu-Metal CDs I've listened to, this one really stands out. Unlike most other similar CDs, there is not, I repeat, there is not a single track that tones down a bit; every track is very intense. The guy screams in every track, and when he's not screaming, he uses his scratching singing voice, not melo smooth singing sound. The band also mixes in some electronics in the music. While this band is not as big and probably won't leave as big of a Nu-Metal legacy as like Korn or Disturbed, it is still played in my CD player very often.

This album is an aggressive masterpiece in my opinion. I was raised on this album along with Korn's "Issues" and Coal Chamber's "Chamber Music". Yes, I was quite the nu metal kid back in 6th grade. Yet even now six years later these albums still grace my collection alongside everything from Genesis to Enya to Dredg to In Flames. The Height of Callousness is a classic. Every song is aggressive. Every song is catchy. Every song is important. It's fast paced, heavy, and combines the best of the nu metal and techno worlds in one. While although that might not sound like the most original or pleasing template, believe me, no one does it like Spineshank, and it's great. This album is extreme, and very pissed off, but has it's melodic and more passionate moments. However, if you're looking for "real metal", go look somewhere else.I think the whole thing is absolutely perfect, and for someone looking for an aggressive album that stomps flat much of heavy music today, you should look no further then The Height of Callousness!