With a name like "U.S. Crush" just what would one expect to get out of this?

Well for one thing, get out of the car… quickly!

This reference, made about the front cover and the scrap heap that remains of what surely must have been a smooth-riding sedan at one time… oh, it's a Volvo!

Wild… U.S. Crush is for the most part, a smooth ride accentuated by a few rough starts and knocks every now and again-so with the price of gas running through the ceiling should have we the right to expect anything more?

About three songs in I hear quite a bit of pop-flavored hard rock the way we once jived to on something like Cheap Trick's "In Color" and lately with Oasis… though there is a true underground feel to U.S. Crush that steers clear of radio friendly pop tunes and happy harmonies.

"Loser" for some odd reason sticks to my brain a little bit here among the first four though it's not much different than its predecessors in working the heavy riff and ½ beat drum rhythm.

"Stand Up" is a total punk rock flare up that knows when to turn on the subtle charm and at once flick it off like an unwelcome pest that brings out intense reaction… The Californian upstarts have their finger firmly on the pulse of cutting edge American rock and roll but not in the latest sense-they prefer to let their music do the talking and leave the sound engineer back in the studio, if you know what I mean.

This new disc could well be placed somewhere back say about ten to fifteen years ago and nobody would've batted an eyelash yet here it is due for an April 2000 release and it's still some pretty kickin' stuff that really stands well on its own.

"My Generation" again embodies their punk rock attitude with the beefed up backing chorus taking center stage here, while "Collision Course" slows the tempo and returns to a thickly textured crash and bang sound with snide vocals and melodic hooks-this is a guitar rock album in the finest Neilson tradition!

It's mid-tempo madness at its finest from an exciting new group that captures a true rock essence on their own terms!

Released by Immortal Records

Review by Vinnie Apicella