Upside

In contrast to Tribunal’s predominantly metalcore roster, Texas shotgun-wielders Upside highlight the label’s penchant for distinctive hard rock, as Jim Beam delivers the band’s self-proclaimed "Texas party metal.” Openers "Does This Make Me Look Dead?” and "Campfire Vampires” definitely have a Ten Minute Warning flavour to them, while the ballad-like "Monday” and "Daylight” are nods to Stone Temple Pilots, with a dash of Agnes Gooch for extra melody. "Anchor” is a solid cross between Cave In’s Tides of Tomorrow and new Transmission0, while "Flatline” has a Dr. Feelgood-era Mötley Crüe swagger. Sid Goldsmith’s clean’n’gutsy vocals place Upside amongst the label’s less aggressive fare (New Republic and Line of Fire) and almost outshine the new double release by label flagship act Killwhitneydead. Packed with a CD-Rom video sampler of 20-plus bands, Jim Beam and the American Dream may be Tribunal’s most mainstream release yet.