Special Ops

There's a distinct difference between sounding great and being great. With their third album, produced by Glen Robinson (VoiVod, Gwar, Ramones), Montreal's Special Ops couldn't sound any clearer and professional. Trouble is, while the quality is there in the delivery and performance it's severely lacking in terms of creativity. Yet another band that opt to look metal but strive for commercial viability, their tunes are predictably saccharine pieces of four-chord pomp inspired by the plastic popularity of Disturbed, System of a Down and other bands with a modest amount of chunk in their verse riffs but no substance. If this were the late '90s, one would expect Special Ops to be sporting Korn braids and oversized raver pants. As is, however, they prefer the PVC jackets, stylized facial hair and piercings of post-Coal Chamber land. While it may not seem like any of this holds bearing on the band's sound, think again. Any self-respecting music fan can see how much effort goes into the look and name producer, as opposed to following their hearts. This isn't metal; it's pop rock with a personality crisis.