One Nation Under

At times unsettling, always dramatic, unusual, and ultra-musical, From Zero's assured debut, One Nation Under, will appeal to those who enjoy their hard rock technical and full of progressive moments and fluid time changes à la King's X. Fortunately, overall, the quintet of well-schooled players that comprise From Zero don't let stellar chops interfere with songcraft. "Check Ya" is a gem, vocalist Jett's talk-singing is melodic, with the soaring, memorable choruses melding well with the left-of-center tempos that prevail here and in many of One Nation Under's 11 songs. Full of intra-song contrasts, From Zero is seamless in their stylistic shifts, from mellow and moving to fierce in "The Other Side," and moving from a heavy mosh vibe in "Jeer" to the edgy hardcore rap feel of "Horrors." The modern, heavy prog-rock genre once propelled by bands like King's X never found a huge following, though it boasts a rabid one. From Zero, straddling the line between modern metal and prog-rock, and rife with tattoos, spiky hair, and killer, often likeably oddball musicianship, could as easily tour with Ozzfest as they could with Dream Theatre or System of a Down. --Katherine Turman