Kick Ass Metal Punk Stuff - American Terror - Influencer

   Sometimes when musicians get together to form a project, the results can be...shall we say...interesting. Other times, it becomes something totally above our expectations.  Enter American Terror.  This new supergroup is metal, punk, and yet something beyond a genre definition. The band consists of Grayson Manor singer Brad Cox and guitarist Pat Valley, and sometimes even bassist GK Via, Sugar Ray founding bass player Murphy Karges, current Skid Row drummer Rob Hammersmith, and don’t forget DJ Soulman from Phunk Junkeez.  This ragtag group of rockers just put out their debut effort, a 10-track release that will fill your ears for only 32 minutes – but oh, what a 32 minutes. They call it “Influencer.”

     Let’s check It out:

1. The first track, and the first glimpse we got of this disc just a couple months ago, is called “Judgement”. Our 32 minutes begins with a marching band snare intro, and then launches into a profanity-laden angry single, with just the right tempo for an excellent mosh pit, and a vibe that calls to mind your favorite Rage Against The Machine track.
2. “Denial”, an up-tempo blend of punk & metal, shows us that American Terror understands old-school. The chorus is rife with punk harmonies and a hooky melody.  They flip easily back and forth from musical to angry screams. I pick up a little classic Anthrax / S.O.D. sound here as well.
3. “How Do You Like Me Now” is very heavy metal, with a sort of creepy Marilyn Manson vocal intro, straight up heavy metal throughout, and they close it out with a moshy break-down.
4. “Retribution” reveals yet another aspect of the band.  It’s a speed-punk, in-your-face track. My favorite line is “Welcome to my funhouse. I’ve got lots of games” Spikey-haired punk rockers will be happy with this authority-challenging, anthemic call to action.
5. The band goes old-school skate-punk on the song “People”. I’m sure it’s no accident that it is also the shortest track on the record. This one is sung from a teen-age world view, and is, frankly, a very fun song!
6. The second release from the disc (and my personal favorite) is “She’s A Bitch.”  As you can probably guess, it’s about a dysfunctional-relationship with the psycho-girlfriend you just can’t live without. It’s kind of a heavy pop-punk track, like if Blink 182 decided to go metal.
7. The intro to “The Threat” shows us a heavier side of the band. This song is a rally-cry, state-of-the-union statement piece, looking at what’s going on in the world.  It’s anti-authority punk attitude crammed into a heavy metal song. “The real threat is here and we’re the majority!”
8. “Prophet For Profit” comes in light, with 80’s style alternative vocals, and then sways between light and heavy and back again. The heavier parts make this a definite headbanger. Lyrically, this track calls out some of the sins found in the worst of organized religion, most notably greed (obviously).
9. “Break Free” is sort of like a blend of Limp Bizkit and Suicidal Tendencies. We get rap and metal, with both cadence and melody, and it works. It works very well. As catchy as this track is, I think it should be their next single off the record.
10. The band saved their angriest anthem for the end. “PC Me” is an all-out metal assault with a decidedly Nirvana vibe.  This track kicks ass, and the chorus is destined to make it a fists-in-the-air rock-festival favorite.

     Cox says "We formed American Terror to do something new. It's classic punk attitude with metal grooves and a modern attack. It's the punch in the throat that music is missing.”* Listening to the record, I think they hit the mark. There’s a little something for everyone here. It’s Rage meets Manson meets Guns N’ Roses meets Nirvana meets Anthrax, and so on and so on and so on.

     In short, if you like your music loud and full of attitude, you need to give “Influencer” a spin. It’s out now on EMP Label Group, and it’s worth the investment. Now I can’t wait until we can go to live shows again! This is gonna be awesome!



* Brad Cox – Blabbermouth (https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/skid-row-grayson-manor-members-join-forces-in-american-terror/)