Warning: if your listening interests are Weezer-esque geek punk or surf punk, and you're looking for something to add to your collection, this album is probably not for you. It's heavy; though it has its mean hooks. "Black Derby Jacket" is by far the pop-oriented song on the album, with its Beatles-like riff (and distinctly un-Beatle-ly vocals). "Rwanda," too (both the name and the republic), makes for an unexpected, yet catchy, refrain: "Rwanda/your moon shines bright/Rwanda/over planned genocide/Rwanda/won't you be strong like a lion." Not your ma's protest song, but it sinks in after awhile. "Antenna," if you manage to catch it as it whizzes by, will also find you trying to sing along.

Ultimately, if you want real hardcore punk, then Rancid's newest offering won't let you down. If you're not a regular listener, however, you might accidentally comment that the album sounds like every other punk album you've ever heard, in which case rabid punk fans will humiliate you and your musical tastes, and the encounter may end up with you being called a "Nancy boy."

While Spineshank's debut album earned them a few laurels around the college radio circuit, it didn't quite have the distinctive sound that The Height of Callousness now displays. The playing is sharper, the songs more musical, and the band has become more recognizable, due in large part to the album's producer. GGGarth Richardson (of Rage Against the Machine, Kittie, among others) has helped the band find an identity in the sometimes sludgy sea of metal thrash bands. New producer aside, the band has also honed its songwriting skills. "Realize that I'm nothing I wanted to be/I can never change anything I've done/Because it's all I have left/Blame myself again for what I didn't do" writes Tommy Decker in "New Disease," a song faintly reminiscent of Faith No More. Despite this pessimistic self-assessment, The Height of Callousness is indeed a step in the right direction for Spineshank.

Primitive contains a high-profile collaboration with the uber-recognizably monikered Sean Lennon on a track called "Son Song"... about growing up from a young age without a father (which was true for both Lennon and Cavalera). Lennonphiles might be a bit surprised by the track, which is one of the album's most interesting songs, a blend of metal and mellow. As on their self-titled debut album, Soulfly bring in other guest vocalists, such as Corey (#8) of Slipknot, Tom Araya of Slayer, and Chino Moreno of the Deftones. All temporarily wrestle for the spotlight with Cavalera.

Truthfully, Cavalera's in-your-face anger occasionally feels like in-your-intestine constipation when it comes to lyrics, but obviously Cavalera didn't ride the path to stardom on the back of his cracker-barrel rants. "Soulfly II" is a gorgeous example of what he can accomplish with his sense of melody and Brazilian rhythm, and "In Memory of..." blends hip hop into the musical melting pot. But a great deal of the album is merely a tease for what longtime listeners of Cavalera know he can accomplish. Fans and casual listeners will find Primitive a good metal album, but for those who have heard Sepultura's Roots, Soulfly remain a band still heading away from the primitive.