THE HUMAN CONDITION – From The Cell

Fans of Thrash Metal are probably quite familiar with Sacred Reich, a group that put out several albums during the late 1980s and mid-1990s before disbanding. In 2003, Sacred Reich guitarist Wiley Arnett would form a new band called The Human Condition, who released a pair of EPs in 2003 and 2005. From The Cell is the band’s full length debut. Joining Arnett on the 10-song, 40-minute From The Cell are Ry, vocals; Scott Twitty, bass; and Muley, drums.

If you go into From The Cell expecting another Thrashy riff-fest in the vein of vintage Sacred Reich, you’ll be in for a bit of a surprise: The Human Condition aren’t trying to be Sacred Reich Mark II with this outing. While there are lots of loud buzzing guitars, heavy drum-beats, and angry-sounding vocals to be found on From The Cell, The Human Condition is more of a Modern Rock act than anything else. As long you know what to expect ahead of time, you won’t be too shocked at what you hear.

From The Cell might fall firmly in the category of Modern Rock, but fortunately The Human Condition didn’t forget about the “Rock” part of the equation: the songs on From The Cell are heavy and grinding, with lots of big churning riffs and well-placed -– and well-done — solos from Arnett. Vocalist Ry has a forceful, ragged delivery that suits the songs on From The Cell nicely and he changes gears well, like on the slower-paced “Let It Die,” which features some effectively emotive vocals; this song also has a pretty cool solo from Arnett. The rest of the songs on the album are mid-to-fast-paced in tempo, and manage to be tuneful and catchy while still maintaining a rough, grinding edge.

Other songs that grab your attention on From The Cell would be the catchy “Golden Handcuffs,” “Tension Rising,” “Right To Live,” the angry “Glitter Dog,” “Now and When,” and the title song. The Human Condition have recorded 10 solid songs for this album, and while none of the tunes are jaw-dropping amazing, all of them fall firmly into the “good” category. There are no clinker or filler tracks to be found anywhere on this disc.

The Human Condition has put out a solid album with From The Cell, and fans of Modern Rock –- and/or Wiley Arnett -– should give it a listen.