Mention the Earache name and most of us will immediately associate the UK label with pioneering early 90's 'Death Metal'. Even through a few years of uncertainty, we still make the link - their current roster features some of the major players of the unyielding death scene. Imagine my surprise when alongside the new Blood Red Throne promo I found the latest release from US band 'Adema'. Now, the last time I heard this mob, they were playing a fairly generic band of American Nu-Metal. Needless to say, I was rather intrigued as what they hell they were now doing on Earache.
Accepting the signing of Adema as nothing more than an attempt (albeit a rather strange one) by Earache to branch out beyond their current roster of acts, I settled down to tackle 'Planets' - Adema's third full length. Coming out of the SoCal Nu-Metal scene, their self-titled debut of 2001 stormed the charts selling almost 1 million copies in the US. The fact that Adema was fronted by Marky Chavez II (or more importantly Korn's Jonathon Davis' half-brother) also contributed to the interest and appeal that surrounded the band. By 2003, the arse had fallen out of the scene and along with numerous others, Adema's follow up album (the almost prophetically titled 'Unstable') stiffed badly leading their label (at the time) BMG to release them. Or in the words of 'Mind Funk' - they were DROPPED!
So in finding a new label, we also find Adema making a few internal changes as well. Gone is guitarist Mike Ransom and more significantly so is Marky Chavez. View this as a rebirth of the band if you will, but with the addition of new mouth piece Luke Caraccioli (who joins Guitarist Tim Fluckey, bassist Dave DeRoo and drummer Kris Kohls) and a dramatically changed musical direction Adema sound like a completely different band.
Not that Adema have gone on record to say that they completely disown their previous material or style - the low bottom end fuzz of the production is perhaps the only remnants left of the bands former nu-metal approach - but it is clear that 'Planets' sounds like a band that is rather proud of their efforts in exploring a more contemporary 'modern rock' style. Still, there is a distinctly commercial edge to the bands melodic rock - granted they're not the most distinguishable of tracks, but the smooth, catchy choruses and the tormented/emotive vocal performance of Caraccioli will ensure some modern heavy rock radio air time.
Adema are not the most remarkable band around, but I do applaud them for realising their nu-metal failings. They have become a much more mature sounding band and it is the performance of vocalist Luke Caraccioli on a selected number of tracks that makes 'Planets' more palatable than I initially thought it would be. The bands efforts at writing more straight ahead mid-tempo modern rock songs work okay, however it's when the band - and in particular Caraccioli - explore their range a little further that their song writing displays much more substance and depth. There is a distinctive 'Tool/Maynard' element about some of the structures and vocal expressions that Adema pull off on 'Planets' - tracks like 'Remember, Barricades in Time and the title track' have that dark, brooding melancholic atmosphere that Tool are so renowned for. It is these moments that I find most appealing about the new Adema sound. It's a pity that that they don't do enough of it.
The down side of 'Planets' is its overall length. Unfortunately, at 14 tracks and 57 minutes, this disc is at least three/four tracks too long. There are a couple of weaker, nondescript moments on this album that could have been left on the cutting floor. I understand the bands willingness to show the full repertoire of its newly reformed sound but in this case, more does not equal better.
If you are a fan of catchy commercial edge modern rock with a tad of exploratory Tool flavour (but without their noted genius), Adema's 'Planets' is satisfying enough. The addition of Caraccioli is definitely a major positive for the band and with a little more refinement of their song writing, they could improve even further. Quite what Earache are going to do with them though, is another story.
- Krozza
(See reviewer's scoring method)
