The first thing one will notice when listening to this new aggro-metal band is the obvious influence from and similarities to the secular band Coal Chamber. These 5 Down have achieved that intense emotional hardcore sound like Coal Chamber only T5D do it even better!! I myself am a big fan of Coal Chamber so when I say "this IS better" you are getting an honest and unbiased answer. This cd proves (without any doubt) that bands of faith can create music equal to and better than most in the secular market. The hooks are instantly addictive and the grooves will have you moshing around your living room floor screaming along with the lyrics! On most of the verses vocalist Nate Bauman delivers an emotional barrage of intense feelings that seem to have been bottled up for quite some time and then lets all that aggression out into a hardcore scream attack on the choruses (VERY well executed I might add). Other comparisons can be made to Korn, Limp Bizkit, Travail and Sevendust but the closest is Coal Chamber. I hate to use that comparison too much because this band definitely has some originality and are NOT a rip-off band by any means. The guitars are thick, crunchy and stinkin' heavy! There is an intense passion that is felt throughout this disc. It is very honest and open in all aspects both musically and lyrically. This was produced by Dez Dickerson and is released on Absolute Records so that alone should be enough to tell you the production here is big, tight, crisp and overall just great! The lyric department is amazing here also. The lyrics show the downtrodden and depressing side of life in a very mature way while offering Christ as the only way out of a miserable existence and showing the love of God as a great hope. Recommended for fans of Coal Chamber, Korn, Slipknot, Travail, Sevendust, Soulfly, etc...
10/10
Other Staff Member Ratings
D_Lister: 7.5/10
Other coverage for this album
7ball #31Reviewed by Kyle MinorThe members of These 5 Down wear their musical influences pretty plainly on their sleeves. They cop Primus riffs ("Revelation War"), 311-style grooves ("Enslaved"), and Marilyn Manson-esque vocalizations ("What's Your Kind"). But for copycats, they're pretty good. There are moments on the self-titled debut that are euphoria-inducing. The opening track, "Low," is eminently danceable, in a…HM Magazine #83Reviewed by Doug Van PeltI just love it when a new band comes along that screams for your attention and actually deserves it -- especially when they are not on one of those cool labels that every band is supposed to be on. Most people appreciate the underdog, and a lot of people love to buck the "politically correct" vibe that even an industry or scene called "Christian" falls prey to from time to time. These Five Down…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by Hey YouI really didn't hear too much about these guys (except for what my fellow writers have written) but I decided to try it anyway. I'm so very glad i did. What we have here (is a failure to communicate...just kidding :-)) is a mix mainly between Korn and Godsmack. The vocals are very Korny (i've gotta stop this...i'm gonna hurt myself) at times, with the dark spoken parts, then the others are like…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by the ProjectThese 5 Down brings one of those disks that comes around every few years and completely knocks the life out of every band. People love this disk and I heard why. This is such an amazing first effort for a very young band it's scary. This self-titled debut is a killer album. I popped it in and could not believe what exactly I was hearing but I loved it. This is one of my absolute need to have and…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by GrindboySometimes when I hear an album is really above par for a genre, I take a chance on it. I dig an occasional Sevendust or White Zombie tune, and I've become a big Project 86 fan, so I gave These 5 Down a shot. I don't know if it's because this isn't good or if I just don't like the style much, but I'm not going to be spinning this one much at all. What this makes me think of the most is hearing oh,…
