Posted on: October 2, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 1

Onesidezero – S/T / 2007 Corporate Punishment / 13 Tracks / http://www.onesidezero.com / http://www.corporatepunishment.com /
Onesidezero start off their self-titled album with a musically heavy track in “Carry Your Gun”. When the band throws the vocals into the mix, what results is something that does not mesh completely. The vocals struggle to approximate the roughness of the instrumentation. This means that there are two distinct threads present in this opening track that does not help the band create a cohesive, album-spanning sound. Despite the fact that Onesidezero does start off with this sub-optimum output, there are flashes and moments of brilliance during “Carry Your Gun”. “Breath” is a track that messes with the tempo in much the same way as a System of a Down, but the vocals and guitar work that are present during the opening track do not have the same allure that Serj et al brought to “Steal This Album” and other releases.
However, the band makes up for this with the circle pit worthy chorus of the track. The only depressing thing about the chorus is its’ length, which comes and goes well before individuals are able to get their fill. “Whatever Happened” tries to blend together and eighties style of rock with Onesidezero’s up-to-date style of rock. What ultimately results is a heavier version of the nu rock sound that is present on all the rock radio stations (imagine Finger Eleven, Papa Roach, and bands like that). Onesidezero is struggling throughout the entirety of this album to craft a sound that is theirs, and to do it in such a way that individuals will want to continue listening to the disc. The band is talented, I’ll give them that, but the different tracks on this album just cannot achieve hit-level status.
The nearest that the band gets is “Levitation”, but what is needed there is a speeding up of the tempo ever so slightly. It is all these small things that keep Onesidezero from being able to create a solid album. I feel that the band could go and create that perfect album, but this effort is just not that album. Check them out live, see if they are a little bit more solid in that format, and make sure to pick up their follow up to this album. The band could definitely blow up in the next few years, so buy this album as well and see how much they evolve from the sounds and styles broached here.
Top Tracks: Levitation, Blondevil
Rating: 5.8/10

1 people reacted on this

  1. I agree .Although I am a fan of osz it does not come close to their debut. They disbanded for a couple of years and it is evident on this cd. I will give them this though they are talented . If they have the strength to stay together , I would love to hear what they put out next .

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