Metal Underground.com

You have to admire chILL for trying to fuse a variety of sounds on the two-song "In Your Spine," which is intended to promote the band's next album. Unfortunately, the two tracks, though they show off the band's ability to play in different styles, come across quite disjointedly.

The disc is dedicated "to the loving memory of Kari 'Kaapo' Rasinpera," and the lyrics deal with "the loss of someone close," according to the press kit for the disc. Certainly, the better of the two tracks, "Rotten Apples," embraces that theme, as singer Jouni Rantanen sings, "I can't find much reason for this loss/It doesn't matter what I feel, you're forever gone." The song features Rantanen delivering everything from grunge rasp to death shouts, and music that ranges from fast metal to elegaic piano — in the space of seconds.

The other track, "Madluck," is more of a straight-ahead metal track with elements of grunge thrown in. Rantanen's vocals alternate between two different screaming styles, as well as melodic vocals, resulting in the strange feeling that there are three different vocalists on "Madluck." Unfortunately, Miska Rautianen's quickly changing guitar parts only add to the confusion, though somehow drummer Mika Rautianen manages to keep things from flying completely off the rails.

In honor of their fallen friend, the band has made this promo — art and all — available for free at their Web site, www.chILLinyourspine.com. You'll be able to judge for yourself whether you're in the market for a new chILL album — or their first one, "controlled chaos." As for me, I found the ambition in trying to fuse grunge with modern metal sounds on "In Your Spine" admirable, even if some of the results fell short of the mark.