Jerk, Where Pure is Defiled [Sony Music Australia, 2003]
If it’s Trent Reznor’s house and Orgy’s party then Jerk are the hanger ons that got in via someone else’s guest list and have taken up residence by the bar to snipe at everyone else. Mario Spate doesn’t sing as much as he sneers, leers and mocks. Even on the album’s de-facto acoustic ballad “Entertained” he can’t reel it in for a moment, howling like Johnny Rotten fronting Alice in Chains. Trashy, disposable, enjoyable fun. God put them here to soundtrack a racing video game and, praise be, they did. Manson but with less portent and more boogie. And no Manson. Which is always an improvement.
Onesidezero, Is This Room Getting Smaller? [Maverick Records, 2001]
When an album’s first word is “Suicide” you have to imagine you’re in for a really glum experience and Onesidezero’s debut Is This Room Getting Smaller? does not disappoint, however it occupies a niche I particularly love which is bands that rip-off Maynard while embracing nu-metal. I especially like vocalist Jasan Radford’s controlled scream technique which breaks free from the sing/rap cadences for real catharsis. Not a classic but a humble triumph all the same.
Pressure 4-5, Burning the Process [Dreamworks, 2001]
Unlike the other two bands in this column Pressure 4-5 weren’t a major label write off. Dreamworks threw their weight into their debut Burning the Process and particularly first single “Beat the World”’s flashy, Marc Webb directed video. That song in particular gets so stuck in my head from time to time that I have to imagine if just a few factors had been different (Pressure 4-5 is one of many nu-metal bands to get deprioritized following 9/11) it could have been, if not a smash, some kind of hit. However after track three this becomes indistinct mush. If I can find the gems in that pile I’ll update but for now give that opening trio a shot for solid pop-focused nu-metal.