The late '90s have seen a plethora of alternative bands that rediscovered the decade's earlier Seattle bands (
Soundgarden,
Alice in Chains,
Pearl Jam, etc.). Groups such as
Creed,
Days of the New, and
Godsmack have adopted this angst-ridden musical style as their own, and while Atlanta's
Doubledrive is comparable to the aforementioned band, they aren't ashamed of their metal roots, which they display throughout their 1999 MCA-debut,
1000 Yard Stare.
Troy McLawhorn's guitar riffing and drummer
Mike Froedge's hard-hitting style are key elements, as well as
Donnie Hamby' s vocals (comparable to
Candlebox's Kevin Martin at times). With a straightforward production (courtesy of the band itself),
1000 Yard Stare contains many tracks that fit perfectly into the late-'90s alt-radio format -- such as the title track, "Dressed in Light," "Smaller," "Sacrifice," and the softer "Reason." With grunge sounds resurfacing,
Doubledrive should have no problem breaking through. [Note: the CD version comes with a multimedia section complete with band bio and pix.]
–
Greg Prato, Rovi