311

For their four-year hiatus, 311 must have made burnt offerings at the feet of the rock gods because this, their ninth studio album, boasts enough distortion and power chords to light up a small city for weeks. Their heaviest set yet, Uplifter is saturated with muscular rock thanks, no doubt, to Bob Rock, who takes the production helm. The head-banging goodness of "Something Out Of Nothing," "India Ink" and "Jackpot" find the band at full throttle and the reggae metal they're known for is never far away. But a closer listen reveals that Uplifter is more brawn than brain. The lyrics to leadoff track "Hey You" sound like a quote from a high school yearbook and "Mix it Up" is about as deep as a mawkish grade nine love letter. Still, if you're looking for rock anthems and don't care to listen to the words Uplifter is a decent record.