I’m getting old. I must be. I wanted my ear plugs.

But I can still appreciate hardcore rock and some loud-ass guitars. So work with me here.

Sounding something like a combo of Mudvayne, Korn and something else, perhaps a bit of Pantera (yes, I’m over 20), Grade 8 provides an interesting combo of beats and guitars,with a lead vocalist, Ryan Tooker, who has a decent voice (even when he’s screaming).

I have a hard time believing that Tooker really does want to be "light as a feather," though, as he says he does on "Headcase," but I can’t deny the intense power of his voice and how well it’s mixed in with the music. (Remember, a lot of what we call "heavy metal" is exactly that because of the jarring combinations – Grade 8 does it well, even though sometimes it does sound a bit overdone.)

Don’t bother asking if these guys are angry. "...don’t tell me/to calm down/just play nice/blow these rules/" on "Adrenachrome" showcases the harder lyrics that are typical of the genre. Tracks like "Let ‘Em Know" and "Chances Are" sound influenced by Linkin Park tune, background beats, supernaturally quick rhyming, screaming and all.

The vocals and lyrics on "Frozen" remind one of a Shifty Shellshock (Crazy Town) performance, who, though he isn’t exactly a masterful lyricist, did just get picked up by Paul Oakenfold to appear on Bunkka. Can't be all bad, huh?

What’s great about the music is the lack of whiny-ness often carried over into hardcore music. Even though it’s difficult to judge just how much these guys have gone through, their lyrics sound like they know what they’re talking about. "Smoke N’Mirrors" exemplifies this best - "I’ve seen it all before/And I know you’re kind/Every time I tried to talk to you/You just refused/And pushed me away."

Yasmin Tabi