They're a heavy Rock group on a major label-what does that tell you first of all?

If you answered that they're the second coming of Priest, guess again Jack!

And while you're at it step away from 1988 for a while.

Brazen, bludgeoning, pounding riffs, low-ended bump and thud percussion and torrential screaming mark the outgoing characteristics of this Nu-Metal monster by the name of Nonpoint.

They're "Statement?"

High-intensity histrionics of the head banging extreme-picture Puya meets Vision of Disorder meets Downset-realized rage channeled at self-expulsion… an implosion of issues that's unleashed within the boundaries of this mess we call "Aggro-Rock" without all of the excess verbal hyperbole… and not to end here, the tune's get in, wreak their havoc, then slip away before the dust has a chance to settle.

"Endure" is the first such departure from the three minute stomp and grind with a glossy gap bridging start to finish, softening the listener momentarily with a nearly Techno angle very compatible with a current Deftones' single.

I won't go on a limb and call them original, considering how four bands immediately drew to the surface before the first song finished, and another four are still running through my head here as I visualize these guys doing the jump up, jump up and get down on stage… they're proficient at what they do and there's a good deal of solid material here-"Back Up" is easily one of the best and "What A Day" is right up there and so is "Misled" where your own throat begins to hurt just from minimal exposure-powerful yet moody, slickly wrapped in mid-song "raps" before doing the same with steel pipe-like guitar chord efficiency!

Nonpoint wastes little time getting to the point on their crushing debut-it's cliché ridden to be sure but there's enough quality output going on here to sway expectancy just enough to distinguish them from the rest of the wolf pack.

Released by MCA Records

Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu]