Grift

Grift have certainly shed the outer skin that made their previous releases difficult to take seriously and have stepped-up to the plate with Born To Be Wired. Not that they've matured too greatly ¾ there is a seriously unhealthy obsession with wrestling strung throughout the lyrics, pictures and artwork, but musically, vocally and visually everything has been improved upon. Musically, Grift switch styles as often as Cactus Jack lost body parts, one will here a melange of hardcore, metal, punk, rap metal, emo, death, technical riffing and vocals that run a gambit of aggressive styles. Still, as often as Grift moonsaults genres, there remains a common thread of continuity throughout; the songs are catchy, well-crafted and heavy. While the whole band has improved greatly, featuring top-notch playing and production, vocalist Kevin Theodorapolus deserves a Slammy of his own. Kevin screams, raps, growls and yells with a conviction and ability that matches Grift's schizophrenic nature. Standout songs would be the title/leadoff track, "Atsushi Onita" and "I Like To Hurt People." Born To Be Wired is an excellent album that builds on the potential Grift has always possessed while shedding the dead weight and excess humour.