ANThology

by Mario Mesquita Borges Discovering new limits to the nu metal scene by approaching mainstream measures and using avowed pop rhythms, Alien Ant Farm give over new lineaments to the alternative metal style and go beyond the widespread rampage guitar strain. The band's kinship with Papa Roach proved to be crucial, for it was through Roach's logo New Noize that the LA quartet managed to deliver their disc on the Dreamworks label. Anthology surfaced as the band's first full-length on a major label with the production credits of Jay Baumgardner, who previously worked with groups such as Orgy and Coal Chamber. The album showcases the band's alternate dexterity, not only due to frontman Dryden Mitchell's revealing vocals, but also by virtue of their deliverance of full-blooded melodies. If "Courage," the album's opening track, provides a hint of their crossbreed intentions, "Movies" confirms Alien's unusual dispositions, surfacing as original discharges of alternative pop/rock. Anthology emphasizes the Californians intrepid enthusiasm, even including a version of a Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal," once more disclosing the team's hybrid intents.