Having basically followed their entire career, I was interested (to say the least) when Nonpoint’s latest came across my desk. I have seen the band transform from its Nonpoint Factor (the original name of the band; drummer Robb Rivera is the only remaining original member) beginnings, then the rapcore influenced days of Separate Yourself and Struggle, to the modernized version that we hear today. Now Nonpoint are back with a new attitude, a new guitarist (Zach Broderick, formerly of Modern Day Zero) and new album titled Miracle. But, after a number of mediocre releases under their belt, will it take a Miracle to revive their somewhat flatlined career?

“Shadow” opens the album like a sledgehammer to the cranium. Immediately you will notice Broderick’s guitar tone is much thicker and richer than former guitarist Andrew Goldman’s. One thing that always bothered me about Nonpoint’s sound (excluding Statement) was that Goldman’s tone was paper thin and never really captured the punch that the band had live. Well, with Miracle that isn’t a problem any longer. The band fires on all cylinders along with Elias Soriano’s ultra smooth chords in this mid paced slug-fest.

Elias and company slice and dice with head bouncing grooves nastier than Susan Boyle’s mustache in the energetic and infectious “Miracle.” If you’re looking for Statement-era Nonpoint, then this song is for you. Featuring Chad Gray (Mudvayne) on guest vocals, the track showcases some killer funk mixed with fierce vocals — something that Nonpoint aren’t necessarily known for.

With Miracle starting out with such promise, I was more than surprised at how quickly that changed. Tracks like “Crazy”, “Looking Away”, “Throwing Stones” and “Dangerous Waters” just aren’t very good, plain and simple. From the mid-paced snooze-fest, “Crazy”, to the up-tempo, yet extremely forgettable “Throwing Stones”, all of these songs feature little to no memorable parts. “Dangerous Waters” is probably the only song that stands out, just because the chorus has a decent enough hook to warrant repeat listens.

A few other tracks worth noting are “Electricity”, “What You’ve Got For Me” and “Frontlines.” As silly as it sounds, “Electricity” begins with just that– the sound of electrical current. Initially the song has some punch, but barring that, it’s really repetitious and tends to fall flat without the presence of any sort of hook. “What You’ve Got For Me” comes out with a solid groove, but once again, the catchy element just isn’t there. Near the end of the track, Nonpoint break out into one of their trademark breakdowns, but it doesn’t last long enough to really make any kind of difference. “Frontlines” on the other hand is one of the few tracks that could really make an impact on radio. Featuring amazingly dark lyrics and contagious melodies, this song is one of Miracles best. The only drawback is that once the band fully kicks in, there is no backbone at all. It comes off sounding a bit lifeless and would have been better suited as the acoustic driven track it started as.

After contributing a cover of Pantera’s “5 Minutes Alone” to Metal Hammer’s Dimebag Darrell Tribute CD (as a “bonus” track), Nonpoint decided to include it on Miracle as well. When a band does a cover, it’s imperative that they add their own style and flavor to the track and not basically play it note for note karaoke style. The ONLY time Nonpoint break the mold is at the very end, but by then it’s a little too late. Sometimes I think bands should limit covers to their live sets (unless contributing to tribute compilations), rather than adding it to the tracklist of their current album.

As much as it pains me to say it, Miracle is an album that probably should have been rethought before it was recorded and released. It’s full of mediocre songs that probably won’t be remembered by the time you’ve moved on to the next one. Regrettably, reputation is the only thing keeping Nonpoint from drifting out to sea. With Miracle, I’m not sure their fan base will be there to pull them back in.

2.5/5