Scars On Broadway - Scars On Broadway

When System Of A Down drifted apart in 2006, fans the world over wondered what the various side projects alluded to would bring. Serj Tankian's debut album hit the shelves a year later to a good reception (although less than stellar sales) and left everyone wondering what the rest of the band were planning. Former SOAD singer and guitarist Daron Malakian had gone on record as saying he had endless ideas for musical directions, and this year's self titled debut album from his new band Scars On Broadway is a testament to that creativity. Along with SOAD drummer John Dolmayan he's created a frantic and schizophrenic monster.

As the fifteen tracks blast by, many clocking in at three minutes or less, Scars On Broadway twists, flip and pulls sucker punches from leftfield.. there's never any time to relax or assume that you've mentally pegged the album's direction. Opener 'Serious' hammers in with a four to the floor metallic chug overlaid with Daron's signature breathless rant, but 23 seconds later switches to a gorgeous mellow jazz-like chorus before chucking you back into the pit amidst traces of the melodic side of SoCal hardcore. With minimal time to breathe between cuts, you're off into the electronica/new wave based 'Funny' amidst waves of warbling arpeggiators and jangling surf guitars. It's clear that this isn't going to be at all straightforward.. Exploding/Reloading captures some of the frantic lunacy beloved of SOAD fans with a jarring eastern European intro riff, before giving way to the flat out heavy 'Stoner Hate' with Daron warning you that 'California's been invaded by a hippy psychopath'.. leaving you to question if anyone would really notice. 'Insane' offers the first glimpse of the softer side of Scars, with a darkly melancholic and subdued delivery featuring a beautifully simple and melodic solo reminiscent of the Pixies.

The pace steps down briefly with the new single 'World Long Gone' due to be released as a singlelater this month, which treads a wavering path between stoner heaviness and political punk laced with emotional minor key outbursts. 'Kill Each Other/Live Forever' leans heavily towards grunge providing a dynamic yet reflective soundtrack beneath Daron's soaring vocals. The final stretch of ths sonic oasis comes with the first half of 'Babylon', floating along on a deep meditative drone. Halfway through the pace steps up into double-time, and the track takes off amidst waves of unsettling vocal harmonies and stabbing lead. All this serves as preparation for the albums darkest, nastiest moment in the form of 'Chemical', a parental guidance rated tale of sex, drugs, violence and dependency. It's an unsettling glimpse into the face of desperate escapism, balancing an amazingly tight and catchy soundtrack with a narrative that may leave some people uneasy. I have no doubt that it'll explode as a live track, but that in itself creates a disturbing image.

The award for the strangest section of the album starts here, with a series of tracks that appear to wear their influences on their sleeves - it starts the first few bars of 'Enemy' where you'd swear you'd slipped into a Chili Peppers album by mistake. This theme continues with 'Universe' which is a dead ringer for Symmetry-era Muse with a twangy Dylan-esque laid back vocal - it's odd, but it really works. '3005' calls late Stone Temple Pilots to mind with country-tinged guitars, a smooth flowing emotive bassline and a killer chorus. The trend starts to slip with the mosh-friendly, ballistic 'Cute Machines' despite a slight vocal similarity to the late Layne Staley of Alice In Chains. There's a brief moment of respite in the downbeat and self-referential 'Wh*ring Streets' before the arrival of the first single (and curiously, the final track), 'They Say' - an apocalyptic juggernaut of a track with slashing guitars and enraged vocals. This song alone would justify the album if the entire package weren't so good, but instead it serves as savage closure to one of those most impressive debuts I've heard this year.