Spineshank: The Height of Callousness

"The Height of Callousness" was a big change for Spineshank. On this album, the sound would lose the elements of hip hop and much of their progressiveness displayed on "Strictly Diesel" and become a straight forward monster of aggression. Remember folks, this is still Nu-metal, not Iron Maiden, so the level musicianship isn't exactly legendary, so to expect as much would be foolish. What we get here is a lot of yelling, thick, distorted sounding guitars, crisp percussion and of course, a splash of industrial elements thrown into the mix. Things get started off right away with "Asthmatic". The vocals are filled with piss and vinegar and a simple riff that isn't much to brag about technicality wise, but it fits its energy level perfectly. The title track follows suit, but adds more of the industrial aspect into the fold. "Synthetic" and "New Disease" would go on to become minor hits, landing them some radio spots and having their videos shown on television. Remember, this was 2000, the peak of Nu-metal grasp on the music world. "(Can't Be) Fixed" shows a little of the progressive sound they flash on "Strictly Diesel", which slowly builds to a very catchy chorus. "Cyanide 2600" is heavy on the industrial side and is heavy to the core, while "Transparent" displays Santos' best use of his clean vocals thus far with the band.

From start to finish, "The Height of Callousness" is a Nu-metal gem with everything you could want from the genre. Its energy is matched by its intensity, while not trying to be something it isn't. Again, Nu-metal. Straight forward, simple and fun music. Spineshank stepped their game up to a new level with this release and unlike many other Nu-metal bands, they would go on to improve their sound even further in the future.

Highlights: "Synthetic" "New Disease" "Transparent" "Asthmatic"

Rating: 4.5