Heavy enough to own some metal cred, “Disturbed” enough to appeal to the masses; such is the modus operandi of Panic Cell. Hailing from the UK, the band takes the tried and true US groove metal (post-late-90’s-fallout Nu Metal, for the uninitiated) sound and gives it a more technical, angrier backdrop. The band’s third studio album, Fire It Up, is about to hit the retailsphere and I’m going to tell you everything you need to know. The first and more important thing: if you like Disturbed, skip to the end of the review.

The second and almost-most-important thing: Panic Cell’s drummer needs to find a new band. There, I said it. It’s out there. Rob Hicks, go join a death/thrash/melodic death band. You’d be better served there. As it stands, his work on Fire It Up is fantastically brutal. So brutal, in fact, that it just doesn’t belong. His pounding double bass runs and brilliantly snappy snare work are hanging out in left field, lost somewhere between copy-cat Disturbed vocals and the rare but welcomed guitar solo.

The third thing: we’ve heard these vocals before, in the late 90’s, by bands calling themselves Godsmack and Mushroomhead (to a degree) and Disturbed. And ya know what? It just doesn’t belong in today’s modern metal. Panic Cell is so derivative, I’d have to produce a flow chart to break down just how far back this band goes on the nu metal timeline. The vocals in “Lie to Me” include the following gems: “Lie to me, lie to me, ya know what I’m sayin? Know what I’m sayin?” There’s no need for that. US nu metal bands did that a decade ago.

I suppose I shouldn’t fault the band’s vocalist for reminding me of my high school years, but I wouldn’t have been at all shocked to hear this guy belting out simplistic, silly lyrics in the parking lot in tenth grade, everyone in their Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Disturbed tees banging away. Then they’d put away their Sony CD Walkmans and gush about how cool Napster is. Seems like ancient history, huh?

The vocals withstanding, there is a lot of good here. Of course, the aforementioned drumming. The guitars are chunky, full of hooks, and though the trem-picking falters more often than not, the melodies and harmonies are good. The solos are great when they’re there. They do get brownie points for the sitar-like sounds, amazing solo, and Egyptian scales on “Forever,” though that’s a personal preference and musical Achilles’ heel for yours truly. You may feel differently. And there’s the bass, which solos (!!!) sometimes. Love hearing that. The production is top notch, too. Sounds great anywhere I listen to it, be it the laptop speakers, my studio monitors, or my car.

Like Disturbed? Buy this. It may just be your gateway drug into heavier stuff. Panic Cell has the edge that allows them to play with the big boys, but their 90’s nu metal vocals keep them squarely in my “could be better” category.

3.0/5