Not Brain Surgery, But Still Fine

Separating themselves from the rest of the pack, the Philadelphia three-piece Blivit leaps almost completely in front of the rest of the scene and creates one of the more enjoyable nu-metal records of the year. However, they do it almost entirely without guitars, instead substituting keyboards, pulsating bass, and energetic drum fills to achieve the sound on Unhand the World.Opening with the title track, it eases up on the hackneyed nu-metal clichés and instead seems content to simply rock out. With an almost positive outlook, “Unhand the World” stomps along with a marching drumbeat, bouncy keyboards, and a rumbling bass.

The core of the album is made up of similar fast paced key-heavy rockers. The group only falters a few times during this main portion, for instance “Stone Again,” with its almost painful chorus. Pieces like “Spinning,” “Ugly Inside,” and “Lobotomy” rip along, incorporating the best of hard rock, ska, ebullient vocal harmonies, and even some funky soul. Even the intros (“Ugly”, “This is Brain Surgery”) and the standard goofing off album closer (“Fuckers”) lack the over worn sentiments of others and are both inoffensive and mildly entertaining. The album’s true highlight is the intoxicated, acoustic interlude “Old Smuggler.” With what appears to be a large group of drunken patrons, the band stumbles through an ode to their favorite alcohol.

Essentially this is a nu-metal record, but that doesn’t become a handicap. Blivit’s Unhand the World is an incredibly straightforward, yet joyful experience. They have taken all the conventions of the nu-metal sound, made it more vibrant, more alive, and have given the world an idea of what the genre should sound like.