ADRENALINE MOB – Omertá

If you live outside North America and don’t follow VH1 Classic’s That Metal Show, or the tweets of host and Radio DJ Eddie Trunk, then you might not even know “what” (or more importantly “who”) Adrenaline Mob are. Adrenaline Mob is a new joint project by ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, Symphony X vocalist Russell Allen, and the seemingly unknown guitarist Mike Orlando.

The music itself has a very heavy Modern Metal (not Rock) sound with a thunderous and clean drum sound that extends through the speakers (one would expect no less since Portnoy did assist with production). Unlike Dream Theater or Symphony X, there are no detectable or listed keyboards on this release. If you’re looking for Technical Progressive Metal, then you’ll need to look elsewhere! With that being said, it’s safe to assume Portnoy isn’t laying down simple 4/4 drum beats here, so there is plenty of “technical” playing to savor in his drum performance … along with Orlando’s guitar leads.

Portnoy’s drumming is bombastic and powerful and really drives the music, while Allen also puts on a terrific vocal display. His voice sounds tougher than a lot of things he’s done with Symphony X.  While guitarist Mike Orlando is probably unknown to a lot of folks, his playing is an eclectic mix of chops reminiscent of John 5, Zakk Wylde, with even some Ronnie Le Tekro nuances.

This release is clearly a “band” project as all three members took part in the writing, arrangements, and production. There are eleven tracks in total with two cuts being less amped up and treading the thin line of being ballads. There is a cover song, “Come Undone”, which is in fact a (gasp) Duran Duran cover, but the presentation is heavy enough that no one should notice without reading the liner notes. Additionally, said cover track also includes some impressive guest duet vocals by Halestorm singer, Lzzy Hale.

The nine heavier tracks are all literal powerhouses with “Indifferent” showing the most commercialism and “Hit The Wall” being one instance of the great shred work offered up by Orlando. This guy is up and coming and it’s definitely worth visiting his website’s bio. He has another project in the works (i.e., TRED) that fans might find very interesting.

Also worth mentioning is the band recently recruited Disturbed bassist John Moyer to round out this now awesome four-piece.

It’s great to see veteran musicians branching out and working with one another. It would be wonderful if all such projects culminated with similarly exceptional material as what’s offered on Omertá. This one should make a lot of Top 10 lists of 2012, and hopefully the guys will be talking about a follow-up!

Lineup

Vocals: Russell Allen
Guitars & Bass: Mike Orlando
Drums: Mike Portnoy