I first came across ADI about 18 months ago when they wowed me live with a note-perfect Thrice cover. Since that time they've grown as a band, ditching any kind of cover-band image to become a tight outfit in their own right. This four-track EP - their first proper recordings - suggest bigger things are certainly on the horizon. What ADI manage to do well is produce a sound that doesn't come across as cliched - more metal than hardcore, they don't bow to current trends or 'scenes' and because of this they come across better than many of their peers. Vocalist Rich is developing his own unique style vocally, switching from singing and screaming reasonably well. But it's when the band go heavy - in metal terms - that they're served best.
The four tracks here are pretty damn good. Crowd favourite 'Stopgap' is, ironically, probably the worst song here as it falls into the obvious category, what with the screaming breakdowns and the cliched riffs. They pull if off live, but recorded I don't feel it cuts the mustard. Having said that, the other three tracks show a musical maturity that will serve them well in the future. If ADI go forward with their more metal tendencies, I think they will do very well indeed. But falling into the evil clutches of the generic post-hardcore wares of many bands could be their most destructive issue...
www.myspace.com/adestructiveissue
Small Town Records
paul
