Dwelling in the Out

Digital Ruin's mix of hard-edged music can be a bit hard to put a finger on. The band can certainly run into the extreme, yet you can hear elements of sounds as far from that as Black Sabbath-oriented riffs and Dream Theater leanings. The sound can get dark, but the group certainly doesn't fall as far into the blackness as death metal or the industrial sounds of Nine Inch Nails. Digital Ruin is one of the most original bands to come along in the world of hard music, really. That is mostly because you generally have to look pretty hard to hear the band's influences, other than a Dream Theater vocal tendency (and honestly, James LaBrie is probably the most influential modern singer in progressive metal circles these days). In their early years, many bands wear their influences on their sleeves. However, the music of this group appears to be a melting pot of hard-edged sounds stewed together into a homogenous porridge called Digital Ruin. With that in mind, this release should be a welcome addition to the collection of any fan of metal with progressive rock leanings.