Search - Fear Nuttin Band :: Yardcore

Fresh, new, and inventive

Robert J. Duperre | Hartford, CT | 05/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's been a long time - probably since Tool entered the music scene in the early '90s - that I've been this excited about a new band. It's been a constant in my CD player since the day I bought it, and I don't plan on taking it out any time soon.



The first question is, what exactly is the Fear Nuttin Band? The answer to that is simple: the most intrinsic and well-developed new sound of the new era. Take the aggressiveness of Metallica, blend in the melodies of Iron Maiden, sprinkle on the crunchiness of Disturbed and Korn, pour in the inventiveness of old-school Red Hot Chili Peppers, and finally bake it in an oven set between Rage, Steel Pulse, and Bob Marley, and...voila! There you have it. FNB.



These ingredients, however, don't tell the full story of the music. The blend isn't as easy to hear when you start listening, and that's the beauty of it all. It's seamless, beautiful, angry, and hopeful...all at the same time. And the group itself is just as diverse as the influences that created them. Guitarist Chris Regan's technically proficient and creative rhythms set the stage, which works in perfect harmony with Jay Chung's well thought out melodies. Matt Penza is one of the most talented drummers to come on the scene since Dave Lombardo, and combining him with Brian Daigle's baselines - which can be both haunting and optimistic at the same time - creates one of the more solid rhythm sections in music of any kind.



Then we have the pair of Jamaican-borne singers, Roosta and Prowla. Never before have I heard two voices that are so different yet blend so well together. In Prowla, with his deep register and sometimes raspy banter, you have what appears to be the heart and soul of the band. He conveys a worldliness in his singing voice that can't be denied, with the anger he feels at the state of society, as heard in the song "Police State", conveyed in the tone of an experienced civil rights activist who knows the best way to change the world is through understanding, not violence. And at his side (which is an apt statement; they literally share vocal responsibilities evenly) is Roosta, who acts as the rambunxious, passionate nephew to Prowla's decorous uncle. His singing voice is beautiful, in the higher end, and his rants express the angst of a young man who is at the beginning of his journey through life. It's an awesome combination, one that I'm excited to see develop as they progress from album to album, almost as a concept within itself.



In all, "Yardcore" is an album well worth your purchase. Totally original, totally fresh, and yet it doesn't feel like a flash in the pan. They have staying power. They'll be around for a long time. Enjoy them. Let the music rush over you. Everyone, from all walks of life, deserve it.



As the tagline says on the album, "Unify the music, unify the people". With this first album, the Fear Nuttin Band is well on their way to doing just that."