Under The Flood is a band destined to be huge. Slick, stylish and songs filled with plenty of angst, these guys are going to be the next poster children for the tormented youth of today. Managing to bring a little guitar heaviness into the world inhabited by Nickleback and those of their ilk, Under The Flood is another in the ceaseless flood of vanilla flavored music that dominates the airwaves today. Following the same formula laid out by many of their predecessors, this is a band that is trying but needs to find its own identity before they fall into the quagmire that MTV and today's radio has created.
They do tend to keep it a bit heavier than most bands of this nature but still stick way to close to the formula that you have heard time and time again. Songs like "Wake Up" "The Moment" and "Healing" all fall into the same category of glorified power ballad and will have you saying I have heard this stuff before while the first single "Gravity" and the title track "Alive In The Fire" both hold promise as to the possibilities of what this band can produce.
There is also the obligatory ballad "Holding On" which should bring out the lighters in mass wherever they perform. It is a decent song but they seem to be just going through the motions and ticking off another one to round out the album. It is very generic and once again has no spice to entice you. As with the whole disc, there is a sense that they are aiming for what others have been successful with and forgot about creating their own sound.
The instrumental "Long Way Up" is interesting with its Eastern style and what sounds like a sitar at times but it still is just a short burst that struggles to rise above mediocrity.
There is tons of potential in this band. Lead singer Dave Nadolski has a great range and terrific pipes! He definitely has the tools to take this band far beyond this effort. With a bit more experience under the belt, these guys should be able to turn it up a notch or two and when they do, watch out! I hope that they decide to be themselves and create instead of imitate.
Track listing:
1. Wake Up
2. Alive In The Fire
3. Sickness
4. Face Of A Lie
5. Gravity
6. The Moment
7. Holding On
8. Escape
9. Miracle
10. Healing
11. Long Way Up
12. Believe
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