Darwin's Waiting Room

I am the first to admit that, on occasion, I like things and can't quite pin down why. Miami-based Darwin's Waiting Room are one of those things. Part of it could be that I can fully image Darwin's MC, Grimm, jumping from a hardcore rap show with Eminem and Dre, right into a growling duet with Slayer's Tom Araya. Maybe it's the production of Orphan, which lets simple songs played in a simple way (guitar, bass and drums) stand on their own. Maybe it is the way Grimm and vocalist Jabe blend anger with a slightly surreal feeling, which lets this band rise above the rap-core ghetto. Maybe it isn't any of those things, but all I know is that my head bounced in heavy solidarity from the first note of opening (and highlight) track "Feel So Stupid (Table 9)" and didn't stop until Orphan was done. Darwin's Waiting Room is on my list of bands to watch.