Yet another band I discovered after being recommended them through Punktastic.com. I'm glad I did, Dead Poetic rock. Coming straight out of Ohio, this foursome are barely out of their teens but have come up with one impressive record, released on Solid State. It is, admittedly, what is currently the flavour of the month, but this record was recorded in January 2002, so we'll let them off. Coming over like a brash Poison The Well with the melodies of a Thursday, Dead Poetic don't exactly re-write the genre rulebook but they stand out a mile from the pack of wannabe '-core' bands.

'Four Wall Blackmail' is a mature record for a band so young - it hits hard, swaying between screaming and singing - with songs that veer away from some of the usual tales of love lost. 'The Corporate Enthusiast', for example, seems to have a right vitriolic rant at the major label music industry. 'Burgundy' perhaps lulls the listener into a false sense of security, instantly more melodic than the majority of songs with stop-start choruses and a hugely singable chorus as the drums crash and the guitars whip around Brandon Rike's vocals. 'The Corporate Enthusiast' is an altogether different beast as it hammers through at pace, the vocals blood-curdling and the guitars thicker and heavier. The fact that Dead Poetic do this at will, mixing up the heavy with the more melodic, makes this an enjoyable listen.

'A Green Desire' and the album's title track carry on these traits, hitting harder than Lennox Lewis in places yet coming across with a wonderful subtelty at others - the latter has such a fantastic scream it actually sounds like a dog barking, such is the intensity. The driving 'Ollie Otson' is a personal favourite, showcasing the clever lyrical style the band seem to be able to create at ease, while the acoustic 'Bliss Tearing Eyes' doesn't fall flat on its face like you might expect it to. Even as the token slower track, it doesn't evaporate into a filler track like most attempts at being 'emotional' from their peers.

This is a record that seems to have been overlooked by the music press, but really does sound better than a lot of the bands being lorded around at the moment. If you're a fan of the screamo/emo/extremo craze then this is an album you should really pick up; it's refreshing without ever coming across as contrived or unoriginal.