DoHM

DoHM proves that the only thing worse than straightforward nu-metal is pretentious nu-metal. The Lakewood quintet attempts many stylistic shifts on its debut album, Watch the Rivers Run Red, but ultimately the music sounds like a band melding 311 with Tool. It's often painful to hear DoHM forcing square pegs into round holes, like the pairing of post-grunge and dub reggae on "Collective Tear" and "The Behemoth."

For a band with progressive leanings and a killer rhythm section, the album blurs together like one long song. That's because DoHM misfires on two key cylinders: First, singer Brian Noll's vocals are layered to the point of overkill; on tracks like "The Jerk," his melodramatic wailing detracts from the solid grooves. Second, the band's stale riffs and predictable leads homogenize songs like "Meet at the Steeple." DoHM's songwriting needs to catch up with its ambition.