Year of the Spider

Amazon.ca Though Cold's music has become more melodic and accessible, that doesn't mean that they've turned over a new leaf. Scratch the surface and you'll find these Florida soreheads are still mad at the world, but happily able to channel that rage into compelling, brainy head-banging. In fact, it wouldn't be going too far to call them post-alt-metal Beck, what with their collage of disparate sounds and effects and their self-referential declarations, mimicking the diminutive singer's early outings: "I'm a loner / I'm a loser / I'm a winner in my own mind / I'm a bad one / I'm a good one / I'm a sick one with a smile." But they're not just a hardened bunch of nihilists. Their bleak worldview is rescued by a staunch sense of self and the quaint but sweet notion of the healing power of love. The affection of a good, but flawed woman is pervasive on the album's 13 tracks. With Scooter Ward's powerful vocals, inventive guitar interplay, and Sam McCandless' nonstop primal bashing, Cold, after 15 years together, are outshining mentors Limp Bizkit. --Jaan Uhelszk