California-based rockers Hydrovibe has been very busy the past three years. From a spot on a Metal Edge Magazine sponsored tour and a featured song on the soundtrack to Saw III, it seems they have had their hands full. After honing their skills on the road, they finally settled down in Burbank to finish and release their debut LP Nothing Left To Lose. Now that we have it in our hands, has all of that hard work and time paid off? With Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osborne, Five Finger Death Punch) behind the wheel mixing their first single “Fame,” it seemed they might have been headed in the right direction, but I feel as thought they might need a DeLorean to get this album back on track.

I kid, I kid. But in all seriousness, some very good bands get left behind, and when newcomers hit the market behind the curve it’s almost as though they land dead on arrival. However, it’s also said that music and style come full circle, and a sound that might come across dated still has a shot in this modern society. That being said, I’m still not entirely sure that Hydrovibe’s sound will appeal to the masses.

Front-woman Heather St. Marie, in all of her beauty and grace, stands out strong with a powerful set of pipes. Her cornerstone Mat Dauzat keeps her headed in the right direction with some catchy guitar riffs and strong melodies. But however talented they are, I’m finding it very difficult to get drawn into their music.

Their opener “Fifteen Minutes” has a strong message that speaks against selling oneself out for “fifteen minutes fame” (there’s not supposed to be an “of” in there, just in case your wondering). This message confuses me because this song sounds like bad mix of TRUST Company and Filter’s “Hey Man, Nice Shot.” The breakdown was borrowed from every Tool song I’ve ever heard, and when they put it all together it just sounds like something that has been done before, over and over. It’s a textbook tune that’s not terrible but kind of a sell out itself if you ask me. I hate to come across rude, but Mill-Vanilli brought more originality to the table.

Track three, “Savior,” sounds like a watered down version of an Evanescence song, along with tracks four and six that follow the same direction. The chorus of track four might cross some ethical boundaries; it sounds that much like a Tool rip off. Fifteen songs later – yes, fifteen – it’s the same thing over and over. I hate to sound like a broken record, but it’s just terribly repetitive and unoriginal. The momentum of the record is lacking and although the choruses are big and catchy, they just come across on an amateur level. With the track record stated in their bio, I guess I just expected more out of these guys.

When it comes down to it, if I could best sum up the sound of Hydrovibe, I would have to say throw a handful of lyrical melodies from Tool, some guitar riffs from TRUST Company, and a dash of inspiration from Evanescence into a bowl, mix, and BAM! You got yourself some Hydrovibe. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, then you should check out their album Nothing Left To Lose. If this album was released in 2002, I truly believe this review might have gone in a completely different direction. But, after listening to a hundred bands that sound exactly like Hydrovibe over the past decade, I feel it’s time for something new.

2.5/5