Waterdown

The "do not cross" markers between hardcore, punk, and metal continue to be blurred in the early 21st century, as it's getting increasingly difficult to differentiate proponents of each style. Case in point, Germany's Waterdown, who manage to combine all three on their third release overall, 2006's All Riot. It appears as though the group enjoy keeping the listener on their toes throughout, as there is absolutely no way of telling where the Waterdown's next detour is headed. Tracks like "Cut the Cord" and "Disassembled" bring to mind such noise/freak-out enthusiasts as the Dillinger Escape Plan, but also include melodic, emo-like choruses. But then you have tracks like "Chewing on Lies," which start out melodic, before singer Ingo Rieser assumes a death metal growl, and "My Hopelessness and Me," which kicks off with a piece that sounds like it's straight out of the Scorpions' songwriting catalog. Waterdown's All Riot seems custom-made for those who like their emo with a bit of muscle (or vice versa -- metal with melody). [A Japanese version added a bonus track.] ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide