From “Hotlanta”, Georgia, comes Dangerous New Machine and their first full length titled Set The World On Fire. Featuring former Stereomud/Soundevice/Love Said No frontman Erik Rogers, guitarist Billy Grey (ex-Fozzy/SickSpeed), bassist Randy Reider and Rodney Beaubouef (ex-Stuck Mojo) on drums, the band definitely has the talent to take the industry by storm. But so many years after those bands achieved success, will we find out that Dangerous New Machine is more smoke than fire?

Set The World On Fire’s first two tacks, “Shut Up” and “Burn”, start the album off like a sledgehammer to your cranium. Both tracks incorporate bouncy guitars that are blanketed with punchy vocals, tons of groove and some seriously contagious melodies. For those who are familiar with Rogers’ old band Stereomud, don’t expect Dangerous New Machine to be just another clone because they’re not. This fearsome foursome also combine elements of Sevendust and even Nonpoint into their ferocious Atl-metal mix.

“Let’s Talk About Sex” and “Feel Alive Again” are a couple of songs that really caught my ear. “Let’s Talk About Sex” (not to be confused with the Salt-N- Pepa version) opens with Billy Grey’s face ripping riffs alongside Beaubouef’s pounding skins and Rogers’ lighthearted lyrics. The track has an amazing stomp at the end that will immediately get your head bobbing at a rapid pace. “Feel Alive Again’s” southern style intro leads directly into rapid fire Sevendust style riffing and vocals that Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust) would be proud of. The choruses are big, melodic and memorable as hell.

With all the good songs on the album, there are a few that really didn’t do anything for me either. “My Sins” sees the band fuse punk stylings alongside their crunching, heavy rock grit. My problem doesn’t lie within the verses as much as it does with the sloppy choruses. The break in the action is filled with guitar noises, bass lines and drum fills, all while Rogers sings throughout. l found it a little agitating and felt it killed any drive that the song had. “I Wish” is very good song at its base level, but I would have loved to hear the song purely acoustic rather than loaded up with keys, super poppy choruses and halfhearted distortion. I totally understand why the song is structured the way it is – commercial appeal. Like I said, it’s not a bad song, it’s just not my cup of tea.

Although there were a couple of tracks that didn’t catch my ear, Set The World On Fire ends with some of the album’s best. “What’s Your Name” is a rockin’ thumper that has lots of low end, tons of bounce and Rogers’ trademark raspy vocals. My personal favorite, “Skeletons”, boasts big time grooves and super catchy choruses that are among the disc’s heaviest and most memorable As a bonus, Dangerous New Machine cover Salt-N-Pepa’s infamous 80′s hit “Push It”. I’ve never been a fan of cover songs at all, especially on a debut album. I have always felt that cover songs tend to be a cheap attempt to make a quick splash in the industry. Well, even with my absolute hatred for cover songs, I must admit that the cover is a fresh and extremely fun listen. The band do a great job at making the cover their own by adding loads of energy and aggression into such a classic funky rap song.

Dangerous New Machine’s Set The World On Fire is a solid debut for these never say quit veterans. While there may be a few hiccups here and there, the album is definitely filled with more good songs than bad, that’s for sure. They say lightning never strikes the same place twice. Well, with Dangerous New Machine, not only did it strike twice, but it started an inferno.

4.0/5