Belgian quartet
Diablo Blvd
deliver a powerful and pointed attack with their fourth effort,
Zero Hour
. Influenced by the crushing riffs of
Metallica
,
Type O Negative
, and
Black Sabbath
, as well as the groove and darkness of
Killing Joke
Sisters of Mercy
Gang of Four
finds
taking a muscular and tangible approach to their brand of metal-inspired, post-grunge rock. It's tighter and more focused than previous albums, which allows
's social message to really sink in, while the sonic assault pummels itself into the memory banks. Vocalist
Alex Agnew
minces no words, firing his lyrical bullets at obvious targets throughout
's 11 tracks. On the chugging opener, "Animal," he spits "Damn you for making me hate.../Damn you for making me fear my fellow man.../If you want to kill the world/Just point the gun at yourself." On the ominous "Sing from the Gallows" -- which is elevated by guitarists
Andries Beckers
and
Tim Bekaert
's classic metal riffs --
Agnew
lays out the album's entire doom-and-gloom theme with references to evil state leaders, geopolitics, climate change, and the overall deterioration of society. Despite the bubbling fear and dread, the song is propulsive and catchy, like everything else on
. "God in the Machine" gallops along jagged riffs and
Kris Martens
' pounding drums, while the epic "You Are All You Love" resurrects the sound of
Alice in Chains
, with
's vocals even dipping to
Layne Staley
's haunting depths. Cinematic moments -- like the instrumental "00:00" and the sprawling seven-minute "Demonize" -- are woven into the album's tapestry, expanding
's story in rewarding fashion. Hulking and powerful but with moments of uplift and melody, this effort is one of
's most accessible and immediate yet. ~ Neil Z. Yeung