After a shelved album, line-up changes and even a stint as a cover band, Birmingham’s very own Lock 13 have finally released their long time comin’ album Inner Enemy. Question is, with so many setbacks, has time passed them by?

The first track that grabbed my attention was “Tomorrow.” The music immediately reminded me of Soil’s heaviness, mixed with the old Adema melody we all loved. As a matter of fact, Jon is almost a dead ringer for Luke Caraccioli (Adema singer on the Planets album) to me. “Tomorrow” is a very upbeat rock/metal song that will definitely get the crowd moving.

“Faded” comes out like a total beast ready to devour. When you reach the first verse, the song takes on a super-evil Jonathan Davis-like banter, then it quickly transitions into a huge, melody driven chorus. Musically, this song kicks into big grooves with huge bounces that will get stuck in your head.

Fans of Sevendust will totally fall in love with “Full On.” The opening riff sounds a lot like “Trust.” Well, minus a few notes here and there. Vocally, Michael Barnes of Red is the first thing that comes to my mind. I feel that Jon really needs to take control of the verses and make them his own, though. The choruses are straight out of the Sevendust playbook with the answer-call style.

I will have to say that “Pass Over” is probably my favorite track on the album. The big guitar riffs make you just want to find someone to pummel. The only thing that I have found common-place with Lock 13 is that they always seem to drop that gut punch during the verses. In other words, the bridges and the choruses are fantastic, but the verses always seem to come off too formulated. But the song has a great riff at the end that will pick you up out of your seat.

Lock 13 dust off the old acoustics for the track “I’ll Try.” This is probably the best song on Inner Enemy because it doesn’t follow the same pattern as most of the other songs. The guitar work is exceptional as it hypnotizes you with its beauty. Jon’s vocals fit perfectly nestled between the twin six strings.

All in all, Inner Enemy is a solid debut for these Alabama boys. Do I think its the most original album in the world? No…but, it doesn’t have to be. Lock 13 really show a lot of potential. With their song writing ability and a little time, they could be successful. My advice: lose the formulas and just let it rip, guys.

3.5/5