The group had a rather short set, being that they were the opening act for the festival. It makes it rather hard to gauge a band when they are not in their element (afternoon performance, full sunlight, no lights, minimal sound), but for some reason the cool breeze of Lake Ontario gave moshers a second wind (all puns intended) and the crowd was rather lively. Songs such as "The Resurrection" and "Built To Last" threw fans and onlookers into a frenzy. I mean, how could you not with an opening riff such as this:
It goes to show you how much these guys had an impact one me. 8 years after seeing them only ONE time at Family Values, and only one album, yet somehow I am still cranking the shit out them. I guess old habits die hard. Obviously a little favourtism was at play when they hopped on Family Values, and Back 2 Basics tour, due to the fact that James "Munky" Shaffer is the owner of Emotional Syphon Recordings, which released their self-titled album (and re-issued their "Swallow The Cure" album). Does it bother me they got hand picked for the tour? Hell no. That's what labels and bands do anyways. They find artists to compliment their sound and associated acts. Overall, I thought they were one of the most memorable shows that day at Family Values.
So going forward now about the self-titled album, it was released on July 10th, 2007 via (you guessed it!) Emotional Syphon Recordings. It was produced by Tim Harkins, who was also responsible for many other bands such as Puddle of Mudd, Korn, Deadsy, Nas, Lo-Pro, Adema, Meatloaf, Guns N' Roses, and many more! Not a bad commander to have behind the wheel if I must say.
Although one single band does not truly represent the, the style of DROID, the album should generally appeal to fans of CHIMAIRA (without the songwriting prowess or soloing), as well as HOSTILITY. I might add that DEFTONES' Chino Moreno contributes guest vocals to "Vengeance is Mine". The production (done by the band and Tim Harkins with James C. Shaffer as executive producer) and Tue Madsen's mixing/mastering sharpens the riffs and gives the album an overall tightness and hard-hitting attack. -Blabbermouth
The one thing that comes to mind for this album is consistency. Much like the reviews I have gone over the past few days, the album is rather consistent with it's delivery. There isn't much progression or complex to the songs; a lot of the material is straight up, in your face kind of metal. No bullshit, no gimmicks, just turn the amps to 11 and go! I guess that's another variable that drew me into their show in the first place. While we are all looking into the music world for that next dragon to chase, or the newest progressive riff that will chime through the industry, there is something simplistic and energetic about the tried, tested, and true.
The band does hang around groove metal a lot, which isn’t surprising considering how many nu-metal bands loved Pantera. You do have those spoken word moments every now and then when a song slows down in the middle, as well as those guitar portions driven by special effects, which are completely void of depth. There’s a lot of short repetitive riffs all over the place as well, but those portions seem to be a bit more profound than typical nu-metal, probably due to the fact that they’re mixed in with regular length guitar riffs. -Metal Injection
(Album artwork courtesy of Droid and Emotional Syphon Recordings)
1. The Resurrection*
2. Fueled By Hate
3. God of Anger
4. Built to Last*
5. No Gods No Masters
6. Withdrawals of Me
7. Vengeance Is Mine (Featuring Chino Moreno)*
8. For the Following
9. Behind Dead Eyes
10. Salt the Graves*
11. Together We Die
12. My Oath
(* = AFGM Recommendations)
For the 2007 self-titled release, Droid consisted of:
Jamie Teissere – Guitar | Bruce Childress - Guitar | Nick McWells – Drums
Ryan Burchfield - Bass | James Eason – Vocals
With all these Korn-konnections, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Droid's sound at times reflects their big brothers during their irate moments -- but they're more of a straight-ahead metal band (few artsy fartsy bits reside here). In fact, judging by such ditties as the album opening "The Resurrection" and "God of Anger," the quintet isn't bashful in breaking out the death metal (especially the group's growler/screamer, James "Buddy" Eason). And wouldn't you know it, another Korn-approved pal drops by for a bit -- Deftones' singer Chino Moreno -- on the bash n' rager, "Vengeance Is Mine." This is one Droid whose power supply appears to be bubbling over with anger. -All Music
So hopefully my brief experience with this band has left you intrigued. Like many other music fans, it's a shame there was not more substance to the group. Another major tour, another album, anything would have been nice to see the progression of the five piece (now four unfortunately due to the loss of Eason on vocals after 2010) group. According to the Wiki page (which I understand is not all that accurate at times) has them listed as indefinite hiatus for focus on personal lives.
Maybe someone reading this might have the ability to through them back into a studio and create some fresh new tunes for the world to enjoy. While they may have been an easy write off for metal elitists, the band resonated with me through their music and live performance. That has to attest for something in the music world.
This self titled debut is not terribly original or diverse, but it is very strongly written. The songwriting saves this album. Every riff is pummeling yet sticks to your mind like glue. The drumming is precise and fast. The lead singer James Eason has a very strong, angry delivery, yet is easy to understand. He has the straight-forward, almost Randy Blythe, vocals, but also can hit a high register as well as a deeper growl. The lyrics are not that creative, typical angry metal fare, but the delivery is what really matters here, and it is strong. -Sputnik
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