Formed in 2003, Austrian five-piece Loxodrome peddle the sort of mid-nineties, nu-metal-by-numbers that makes “State of the Union Speech” a very disjointed listening experience, and you can’t help coming away feeling a little disappointed.   

Today we find ourselves almost rid of the corporate beast of nu-metal, yet Loxodrome appear to have found a “How to…” book discarded by any number of the mediocre bandwagon-jumpers who have tread this path before them.  And, whilst they are a hell of a lot better at it than say, Puddle of Mudd, you can’t help but feel that these ten tracks would have been cast aside in the studios of Linkin Park, Korn or Papa Roach. 

So where did they go wrong?  Well, firstly the mix doesn’t do them any favours and puts them at an instant disadvantage from the off. The vocals are too prominent and clean, at least half a dozen of the tracks crying out for vocalist Michi (an obvious talent and one shining ray of hope in all this) to really roar to mirror the sludgey riffs and slapped bass, “Bad Medicine” being a prime example. Loxodrome also fall into the European habit of adding an ill-advised rap here and there (“That’s Me”), when it just makes it sound like Clawfinger-lite. And starting an album with an instrumental opener and ending it with a six minute closer is neither new nor original and, worst of all, is downright criminal if the instrumental is called “Speechless” (geddit?!) and the closing title track is about five minutes too long!  

Loxodrome do hit some right notes, like with the dual-vocal pummeling and stop-start guitars of “Take”, but mainly on “Mole” with its keyboard, electro-operatic opener and strong riff that almost pins down a “Loxodrome sound”, something of their own to work on rather than never quite reaching the heights of their all-too obvious influences.

Let us know your views on State Of The Union Speech

Track Listing

Speechless
Open Doors
Bad Medicine
LXD
Hard as a Bone
Take
That's me
Mole
Raise your Fist
State of the Union Speech

Line Up

Josef Pitschmann - Guitar
Michael Aitzetmueller - Vocals
Stefan Windischbauer - Guitar
Paul Ablinger - Bass
Christoph Huettner - Drums