With a bit of a different approach, Dirtfedd brings to the metal scene their Midwest, Nascar fueled, redneck brand of music which they themselves have labeled "boozecore".
Born as they say in a rodent infested, trash covered house, Dirtfedd has struck upon a formula that will have mass appeal in the world of metal. As heavy and hardcore as anyone, they take this thrashing duel guitar attack and add the very diverse vocal ability of Dustin Travels who goes from a death metal growl to a very hypnotic clean voice at the drop of a hat. Then they mix in the rhythmic keyboards of Travis Wagner to the assault laid down by the axe work of Eric Marshall and Brian Luginbill.
This combination makes for as heavy a hardcore thrashing as you will ever receive but also tosses in some very melodic heavy metal moments. One real cool example is the very southern tinged short instrumental titled "Cold Ficks and Hot Lix". Here they pay respect to the roots from which they were born. A neat little slide guitar and keyboard number that has Allman Brothers written all over it!
That example is not really representative of the band on a whole though. Yes, you can tell who their influences are, but they have taken it to a whole new level. Few metal bands I've heard recently have had the ability to spark my ear for classic rock while maintaining their metalcore soul. These guys traverse both worlds to bring you a real listening experience.
My favorite songs on the album are "Shotgun Romance" and "Are" where both manage to blend some very classic piano with some mighty screamo and clean vocals and then bashes you over the head with its heavy guitar attack. The resulting sonic smorgasbord is a tasty treat from the buffet they offer you.
The band ends the disc with a crazy piece of hardcore metal called "Wasted". As a nod to the society that spawned them, the song ends with a message left on an answering machine that tells as much about where these guys come from as anything before it. You have to love a band that embraces their heritage like this!
I missed a chance to see these guys play live a little while ago. Not knowing who or what they were at the time, I didn't think too much of it. Then I received this disc and have been kicking myself ever since. It is one of the best metal albums to ever come out of Lincoln Nebraska!! Dirtfedd's The American Nightmare is a headbangers dream!
Track listing:
1. Salute
2. Trained To Kill
3. Said The Spider To The Fly
4. Cold Ficks and Hot Lix
5. The American Nightmare
6. Tonight
7. Here I Am
8. Shotgun Romance
9. Ares
10. War Criminal
11. Wasted
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