Though I'll admit the title spooked me (in a kind of cheesy, Stephen King horror novel way), the band provides a vicious metal assault on the ears that laid my fears to rest. Part of the sonic onslaught is due to the presence of three, count 'em three guitars, all turned up somewhere in the 11 range. The hard-charging sound is unrelenting, as song after song pounds out of the speakers, bass and drums booming and driving the whole band forward. Vocalist Jai Diablo thankfully seldom takes the hoarse, bleeding-throat approach. Instead, he runs a wide and varied path as he sings. From the restrained whisper, to the outright rage, he creates a dynamic for his fellow band mates and the music to follow. The disc is tough, and there's enough metal-guitar chugging and elements of melodic movement to put these guys near the top of the hardcore heap. Raise your Bic lighters high! www.dragpipe.com

Singer Ralph Kircher has a voice that's reminiscent of Brit singers of the punk and new wave days of old. Kind of nasally, kind of sneering, at times like an early John Lennon. The band's music could easily have poked its head out in the late seventies/early eighties. A mix of swirling pop with the occasional heaviness nodding to the punk arena, the music might remind you of bands like XTC or Echo and the Bunnymen. A song like "Obvious" is full of studio handiwork, layering of instruments and noises, yet at its heart maintaining a strong melodic sense. And while the production seems a bit off at times (too much clipping, distorting, etc.), it is the strength of the songwriting that gives this disc a hearty thumbs up. The songs are not your typical constructs (the ole 1-4-5) and have more bridges than Madison County. In the end, the minor glitches might bug you, but the tunes will stick in your head, and that's okay by me. www.thesprawl.com

You may know Sinclair for a variety of reasons, as the former editor of Blues Access magazine, manager of the MC-5, or radioman on WWOZ, a New Orleans station. But he's a jazz and blues historian as well, and on this disc, he rambles like the Beat poet he is, expounding on blues history over a rich background of Delta blues. For the uninitiated student of the blues, this represents a good primer, a sort of Ken Burns documentary as Sinclair preaches. For those more immersed in the blues culture, however, it may be a bit too much. Blues fans tend to be a rabid bunch (like Alanis fans, only they drink harder), and sometimes think they know everything, and will tell you so. Thus, they might be inclined to say to Sinclair, "well, it's good, but..." as they tug on their leather vests. And, personally, I'm on the fence as well (not that I'm a blues nut. Well, I am, but anyway). As Sinclair speaks, I'm not sure how long I can take listening to the history lessons. For a live performance, I imagine it'd be fun, but on disc, his attack can grate, and I ain't cheese. You judge, at www.okratone.com.

I was given little press on this band, and there's no website as of yet, though that may change. Despite my lack of information, I think the band, which plays an enthusiastic power pop, should start finding popularity soon. I say that because the songs are fun, have enough hooks in them to stick in your head, and the guys seem to be headed in the right direction. Musically, they fall somewhere in the Weezer category, though not as polished yet. Sure, singer Daniel Stampfel could use a bit more of an edge in his voice, and maybe some of the numbers could use a slight increase in tempo, but those kind of things often get smoothed out with experience. Production on the disc is good, with Richard Lloyd (Television) taking the helm on three cuts. "Waiting" has a Strokes tinge to it, and at almost five minutes is a tad long for a pop hit, but it shows a smartness about the songwriting.

From the American Midwest comes another hardcore outfit, ready to pound you into submission with the relentless attack of rapid-fire drumming, bottom-thumping bass, aggressive guitar playing, and raging maniacal vocals. And, sure, you may note similarities to Slipknot, and #6 of that band (M. Shawn Crahan) does garner the executive producer label here. And though DTS might be a bit milder than Slipknot, offering more in the way of heavy metal than full-blown madness, they still find the time to vent and rage and spew all over the place. Lyrically, they spout the familiar lost-youth philosophy, as on "Enslaved," we hear, "The master that we serve has raped our destiny, we're still enslaved, we're still enslaved, the master that we serve, has shit our lives away," and so on. And there's a song "Lucas Toole," which is a reference to a pair of killers. That said, the disc might be a tad strong for the younger set, but a fat parental warning sticker should keep the kids safe. Roadrunner scores again. www.downthesun.com

From Canada comes this heavy-metal outfit, and I think they're serious about rock. The opener on the disc, "Get Up," is a raucous number, veering toward the hardcore approach but incorporating melodic elements and some wicked guitar work by Kai (who toured with Tommy Lee's Methods of Mayhem a few years back). In fact, several songs take that chunka-chunka guitar-chording approach, more rhythmic than harmonic, more percussive than plaintive. And it occurs mostly in the verses, while the choruses take a bigger, melodic, heavy-metal approach. Similarly, the vocals are prone to hoarseness in the verse, and a smoother style of singing in the chorus. There's an interesting dynamic at hand that works well. The band can also straight-out rock in a metal fashion, as "Star 69 (Wait For Nothing)" shows. You can almost picture the big hair, the greasy naked chick on a Jaguar, the flashpots... but these lads employ a short-hair/goatee/piercing look. In any event, a strong debut from a metal band that should hit the charts. www.noisetherapy.net

The immediate thought that jumps into my mind as the disc starts is Edie Brickell, who blew onto the music scene, oh, over a decade ago, married Paul Simon, then seemed to fade. Well, no, I'm not advocating Weiland marry Paul Simon, but there's a fresh feel to her vocals, and a snap as well that makes you listen. She can sound kind of snarly sexy in an R&B way, as on "Divine Light," where her pipes see a lot of work. Her music incorporates bits of folk, R&B, and rock, with the result being an upbeat mix of songs, nothing too sharp to cut yourself on. Nevertheless, the product is engaging enough that you won't dismiss her as some rookie or Karaoke grad. "Pain, Pain Go Away" is a ballad in a Janis Joplin kind of way, though Weiland sings it without a hint of gin-drenched vocals. Her voice is not too rough or overpowering (my ears didn't bleed), and I'd have no problem recommending her. Just stay away from Paul Simon. www.carrieweiland.com

French punk rockers? Is that an oxymoron? Well, what's your definition of French punk rockers I say? Semantics aside, these four lads from the land of vino have tossed together eight tunes that'll toss you into the way-back time machine and keep you there, in true punk fashion, for just under 19 minutes. Do the math if you want, but songs are short and to the point. Yeah, bands like the Clash and the Damned and the Dead Boys were around long before, but it's nice to hear the brusqueness, the youthful urgency, the crashing craziness that this style of punk brings to the party. For those infatuated with that Orange County sound, this may be a shock, but this is what punk is, so let it rip, give a smile, and relax. The title track is my pick for the song I'd replay the most, sounding more along the lines of the Buzzcocks or the NY Dolls, and again, I'd rather give this a spin than take my chances with the radio. Merci, Swingers. www.chez.com/neuroticswingers

First off, your website sucks. I say this only because I was trying to get info on the trio, they didn't send any press, and every time I click on a page a sound file fires off, which is so fucking annoying that I'm ranting about it here. Usually, I like to read a band's website while the music plays in the background, you know, see how all the pieces fit together. And so this crank of a critic is knocking their website, and the music isn't too far behind. What you get with the eight songs here is pretty much what you'd expect to hear from a trio of high-school juniors. If I cooled off a bit, I'd say they have some potential, that their heavy style of rock can be appealing in spots, as on "Thanks," or on "Yesterday." Yet, on the latter tune, the heaviness isn't helped by the vocals, which sound young in the sense that notes aren't hit with confidence, or waver, or sound weak. Sorry to be harsh boys, but that's how I see it. If you dare, trip over to www.victorylanemusic.com.

This band seems poised to be the next darling of the FM airwaves. Why? Well, to quote their press, the disc "features production and vocal collaboration by Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots fame, Jay Baumgardner (Papa Roach, Drowning Pool), John Kurzweg (Creed, Puddle of Mudd) and was mixed by Andy Wallace (Staind, Limp Bizkit, System of a Down)." You can almost hear the registers ringing at the record stores, non? The music is similar to that of STP, Creed, Alice in Chains, in that it's as dark as it is melodic. I suppose rainy-day rock would be a good term, and you'd swear it was coming out of Seattle, but the lads hail from Maine and Florida. For fans of the aforementioned bands, this will be a welcome addition to your music collection, as it is a balanced piece of work. Production is swell, and though there is no hit right out of the box, the songs tend to grow on you after repeated listening, and in radio land, that spells ad sales. Slated for release in January, you can get a peak at the future at www.cinderband.com.

I suppose Duke's disc came this way because he has started his own record company, BPM, since I rarely get a jazz disc. For those not familiar with Duke, you might want to head over to his website, www.georgeduke.com, and check out the discography section, especially the "sideman" part. That'll give you a little background on the man, because there's not enough space here. Duke has played with the greats, from Cannonball Adderly, Jean Luc Ponty and Frank Zappa in the early days, to people like Diane Reeves more recently. And, on this disc, the flavor is upbeat and full of life. I'd say light, but I wouldn't want you to get the wrong idea. It's light in the sense that it's not a hardcore jazz disc that few will appreciate, rather one whose tunes are easily accessible by all. Duke's playing is flawless (I wouldn't deign to dis the man), and the players in the band are equally talented and versatile musicians. Tunes range from pleasant numbers like "Chillin'," to "Another Way to Look at It" (which will take you back to the good old fusion days), to the funky and aptly titled, "Ain't It Funky Now." If you're in the market for a jazz disc to toss on the player, Duke's Face the Music is a good start. As we say up here, there ain't enough o's in smooth to describe just how good this disc is. And on that note, see you next month.