Published on May 5, 1998
Boiler is a group that revels in the fact they are difficult to
categorize. One minute, they sound like Rage Against The Machine,
the next minute, they’re pumping out some pretty chunky metal. For
the casual listener, the combination might seem to be too much to
take.
Ah, but that’s the case only if you stop while reading the bio.
In fact, Boiler’s debut release,
The New Professionals (I’m truncating the title), is pretty
damn good, putting forth what could be the next voice in heavy
metal.
Oh, it’s a bit difficult, at first. On the opening track
“Superseed,” it’s very difficult to decipher bassist/vocalist Will
Price, because he’s so far buried in the mix. Fortunately, this is
an isolated incident; the remainder of the album is both heavy and
catchy, something I’ve not been able to say about many heavy metal
albums – even the ones I love.
Guitarist Marc Mays uses his instrument to its limits, squeezing
crunchy riff after crunchy riff out of his axe without submitting
to flashy solos. In this case, Mays’s style works the best; I don’t
think
The New Professionals would have been as successful had
there been stylish solos on this one. Drummer J. Harman knows how
to work his kit, and does so masterfully. And Price weighs in on
the positive side with solid vocals/grunts/screams (knowing when to
use each style) and a solid bass backbone.
And despite a subtitle talking about “Industrial Slammination
And Groovitude,”
The New Professionals is neither trip hop, industrial, nor
groove rock – never mind the fact the songs all have a particular
heavy groove to them. No, this is an animal all its own – and we
should be thankful that Boiler decided to not follow any of the
three previously named musical paths. By gleaming a little off the
top of each of them and paving a fourth road – that of ass-kickin’
metal with a somewhat funky side – they succeed on their own terms,
not off of the success of others.
Songs like “Defleshed,” “Frontin'” and “Tapeworm” all show that
Boiler is most definitely a force that, if given the correct
breaks, we’ll have to deal with. But therein lies the problem, and
it’s not Boiler’s fault: Who will give
The New Professionals a fair shake on the radio?
Alternative rock? Why not? They helped make Rage Against The
Machine a success; why shouldn’t they give some of the tracks on
The New Professionals a fair spin? Hard rock “specialty”
shows? Again, why not? You’ve polluted the airwaves long enough
with the new Metallica; how’s about showing people what it’s like
to rock out again? Album rock? Hey, why not? (It sure would wake
some people up!)
The only weakness that Boiler needs to overcome is the rare
instance where Price’s vocals are buried in the mix – well, they
also need to drop the damned stupid habit of burying a song 30
minutes after the final listed track ends. (It’s a good song – why
put a half hour of silence in between the tracks, for Jah’s sake? I
swear, I’m going to kill whoever started this trend.)
Interesting to note that Boiler is a band with a sense of humor
– from the drawings of industrial accidents in the CD booklet to a
taped phone conversation complaining about a contract – all because
someone’s name is misspelled.
The New Professionals is a disc that became a pleasant
surprise when I popped it into the CD player – and if there is
justice in this world, Boiler will be given a fair shot to succeed
courtesy of radio and the industry. Take a chance: pick this one
up, and just let it rip. You won’t regret it.