The New Breed
'Various Artists'
Dstar Records

The New Breed is a concoction of melodic rock songs donated kindly by 20 different acts from all over Australia. It is the kind of CD that will appeal to people who's music taste stretches further than the trendy screamo driven hype bands cruising around the scene at the moment - not that I don't like it, because I do, but it's good to listen to something a bit more tasteful sometimes.

Melodic rock seems to be the only way to describe this CD, but there are so many variations of the genre. For example, you have your heavier side in Horsell Common with their track The Disaster, Away From Now offer Drought Line, to your almost poppy and upbeat tracks like Responder's We Must Leave, Sumi's track Get Watcha Give to Angelas Dish with their track On A Sign.

There are some bands on the compilation such as Bodyjar, Something With Numbers, In The Grey and Tiltmeter who are a big draw card to get punters to purchase the CD, but while they are listening to the bands they know and love, they also get the chance to listen to a bunch of newer, less experienced bands such as The Open Season, The Scissor File, Burn The City and The Reason, some of whom they wouldn't have even heard of before.

So not only is it helping the bands get their music out there and introducing them to a more diverse audience, the listener is also introduced to new sounds, styles and influences.

It's good to see an all female band included on the compilation in an industry that is male dominated. Tirany's track After is a definite stand out and gives the other tracks a run for their money.

It doesn't have a tight flow from track to track - it has almost a battle-of-the-bands-style in that each band is so different from the last, but all are so similar in that they somehow still manage to fit into the melodic rock category.

All in all, a great compilation that all bands and crew involved should be proud to be a part of. Each one of the contributing bands are working hard at honing their and crafting their own individual styles and paying close detail to lyrical structure, which makes these bands come up heads above the rest who are kicking around the local scene at the moment.

Fiona Stafford
Jack Wilde