The New York band Fenix Down (http://www.fenixdown.com) may have a yen for the video game "Final Fantasy," but there's nothing cold and computerized about their music. Instead, this is straightforward post-grunge rock & roll, delivered with buoyant, youthful energy and thick, steel-melting guitars.
However, Fenix Down aren't discordant noisemakers; this is a group with both adrenaline and heart. Beneath the layers of macho riffing is a sensitive heart, which is expressed through the yearning vocals of singer/guitarist Tony Hanson.
On some level Fenix Down can be compared to Linkin Park minus the rapping. Like Linkin Park, Fenix Down have chunky, loud guitars that scream of bruised emotions and ominous synth lines that color their oppressive rhythms, especially on "Breathe Again," which suggests a clash between the hard-rock pounding of Metallica with the industrial underbelly of Stabbing Westward.
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Fenix Down fit squarely into Active Rock radio stations stateside. They combine the best qualities of metal with the more edgy sides of alternative. "The One" has a sizzling guitar solo from Richie Castellano of Blue Oyster Cult, giving the track a past meets present rush of classic and modern rock.
But for all their eardrum-blasting weaponry, it's Fenix Down's melodicism that impresses the most. These are catchy songs, and the band isn't afraid to go really pop, as on the sunny "Wall." Such versatility is commendable and entertaining.
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