40 BELOW SUMMER — Side Show Freaks (review)

40 BELOW SUMMER — Side Show Freaks album cover Album · 1999 · Nu Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
pointandclick
Right off the bat in 40 Below Summer's 1999 debut, it is clear the band are capable of producing some seriously infectious choruses. The opener "Suck It Up" is an excellent balance between the heaviest of nu metal (think Slipknot) and the hooks of early 90s alt-rock.

On the whole though, this album is somewhat different compared to later 40BS releases. There is a much more noticeable hip hop influence, not just in the vocals, but also in terms of instrumentation. Songs like "I'm So Ugly" and "Little Lover" appear to have some sort of G-funk sounding keyboard thing going on, which adds a layer of uniqueness to this as far as nu metal goes. My favorite song here overall is probably "Untied", a super emotional song which feels a little out of place amongst all the rap metal and proto(?) Slipknot stuff.

I would definitely recommended this to anyone with an interest in alternative metal and its subgenres, or just anyone who appreciates good, catchy melodies in metal.

Originally written for www.rateyourmusic.com
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