Kronow

Prior to February 2002, Kronow played to little fanfare and seemed to be spinning its collective wheels. Enter new frontman James Brennan, a visual and sonic dervish, who gave the band the momentum it sorely needed. With its November 2002 release, Tenfold, Kronow pulls no punches, doling out thickset bass and beefy guitars to stake its claim in Denver's heavy-music scene. Juxtaposing Brennan's angry rants -- flavored like old-school Axl Rose, featured in "American Nightmare" -- against "Dream Again," which showcases tender guitar melodies, the disc reflects a thoughtful selection of the band's strengths. Elsewhere, staccato vocals groan and croon over crepitant rhythms; lines such as "God, I love my self-absorbed, ambivalent life," in a song mocking the duplicity of post-9/11 New York City, belie a cleverness and awareness that lurk behind the band's rough facade. The trademark metal anguish pours into lyrical form on the title track, "tenfold," which refers to vengeance multiplied. Throughout this debut CD, recorded before the departure of founding member Ted Beers, Kronow lets us glimpse a promising potential without breaking any metal molds.