Extreme albums can be difficult to judge. While there's obviously a massive fan base and a hunger for it, it can be tricky summing up a record that leaves as quickly as it arrives. Such is the case for "Dreams On Algorithms," the third full-length release from Massachusetts' Escuela Grind. In their relatively short career, the band has made a name for themselves with incredibly fierce live performances, social stances, and aggressive music, and now, nearing the end of the year, they're letting the music do the talking with this album. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be saying much.

The album begins with "DOA," led by a cymbal count in, much the same way that a song would begin live, and at first, it seems promising. As a whole though, the song sounds pretty disjointed, which I'm sure some grindcore and powerviolence fans won't have a problem with, but for the casual fan or neutral, it doesn't really click. Things do improve a little with the album's first single, "Always Watching You," which contains a good rhythm and halfway through features a fun charge that provides the opportunity for fans to shout along, but it struggles to remain consistently interesting.

Blandness is actually quite a problem for "Dreams On Algorithms." Escuela Grind are an amazing live band and they've written some good songs, but many of the tracks here tend to follow a similar pattern. One example would be the guitars, which for lack of a better word, are very choppy here, which is OK for "Constant Passenger," but become really boring by the time "Planned Obsolescence" rolls around. Meanwhile, I know a lot of fans are obsessed with breakdowns, and they'll be happy, because it feels like there's fucking thousands of them on these ten songs, and by "Concept Of God," I never want to hear another one. The aforementioned track is another example of the music being totally uninteresting, while aside from the clean vocals, closing number "Turbulence" can also be tagged as such.

It's not all bad though. While the guitars are a slog on some songs, they really shine on "Animus Multiform," which, along with the following track "Scorpion," stands out as one of the best songs on offer. The opening riff is almost Megadeth-like in its approach, which is at least commendable for being different, and has a wonderful bouncing rhythm. "Scorpion" has a fantastic groove, which is almost hip-hop in its delivery and features a strong chorus. It's a great example of streamlined chaos and perhaps comes the closest to displaying what makes them such a fun live act.

People will say whatever they want about Escuela Grind, but right here it's the music that counts. Speaking as someone who likes Escuela Grind, it's hard not to feel disappointed with "Dreams On Algorithms." While there are glimpses of what's made them endearing to a lot of people, ultimately it's a forgettable collection of songs that don't offer much to be excited about. It can often be difficult for a band to capture the live spirit in the studio, but there needs to be strong material to keep people interested in coming back, though it's possible, if not probable, that these songs will sound better in such a setting. They're still a good band, but people would, and indeed should, have expected more from this album.