40 Below Summer

ow often does a debut album by a quintet out of New Jersey get to have the legendary name GGGarth Richardson (Rage Against the Machine, Slipknot, Kittie) in its production credits? That alone made me sit up and take notice of 40 Below Summer's Invitation to the Dance, and this disc has all the trappings of a big monster metal record. Vocalist Max Illidge has a voice that is reminiscent of the master bands like Queensrÿche, but with a modern growl. Don't get me wrong; this is a contemporary record that can hold its own in the company of bands like Slipknot and Korn, it just has that little something extra. Maybe it is the worldly influences of Peruvian drummer Carlos Aguilar and Puerto Rican bassist Hector Graziani, or maybe it is just an introduction to next generation of metal.