Metal Underground.com

A list of influences that includes Alice In Chains, Motley Crue, and Hank Williams, Jr. tends to lead a reviewer to think that he’s about to get a mixed bag. In the case of Brock, and his self-titled album, the term “influences” obviously means “other musicians I like.”

While you might possibly be able to pick up a hint of Alice In Chains, if you close your eyes and focus really hard, and maybe a snippet of Motley Crue, this singer/songwriter has nothing in common with country music’s loudest redneck - except perhaps the annoying habit of telling listeners how wonderful he is.

With lyrics that have a heavy focus on peacock-strutting arrogance, and monotone, often flat and nasal vocals, “Brock” sounds more like the musical attempts of a pre-pubescent garage band. The drums are made up of a three-piece kit, namely snare, cymbal, and rim, and the drumbeat is monotonous at best.

The vocal tunes of the first two tracks, “Build Me Up,” and “Look Me in the Eye” are nearly identical, and the grind style instrumentals in “Drive” sound like an amateur pre-1983 Motley Crue cover band. The blackest moment comes in “No Regret,” a grunge tune that can only be called abysmal.

The one silver lining to “Brock” is the guitar talents of Scott Burstein. While he’s no virtuoso, his performance is solid. His shred technique in “Don’t Bother” and “Build Me Up” are commendable, as are the classic hammers offered in “Look Me in the Eye.”

The best the album has to offer are “Take Me Away,” which instrumentally, isn’t bad, and “Don’t Bother.” “Take Me Away” features a chugging guitar, a heavier drum, and a funk-infused bass. The harmonizing backup vocalist featured in “Take Me Away” offers a nice reprieve, though he also serves to reinforce the sense of Brock’s flat chords. “Don’t Bother” displays a decent classic metal guitar, though the overall sound of the track is like early Faith No More. The lyrics, “Don’t bother, don’t waste your time,” are a pretty appropriate summation of the entire album.