Soulcrusher by Operator - Album Review

"Soulcrusher, no other..." begins the chorus of the title track of their debut album Soulcrusher, as if the line was describing their album, their band or their music.

In stores on August 21^st, Soulcrusher is worth the wait; especially for metal and hard rock purists. With the current state of the industry, genre has stagnated and morphed into a commercial friendly animal that lacks complexity, instrumental solos, variance, and creativity. Operator ignored the mainstream and simply wrote an album that is good.

Styles range from the heavy, (Soulcrusher/The Only One) to the light and acoustic (Make 'Em Pay/So Little Time). Even then, however, the high-flying guitar solos and powerful vocals are not toned down.

Burn Up The Road is a comfortable and nostalgic throwback to the glory days of rock in the early to mid 90's. Guitarist Paul Phillips' heavy Alice in Chains influences can be felt here.

The final track on the album, Live Your Way is a true metal anthem in the style of Early Metallica or Beethoven, that follows a centuries old formula of consisting of a verse, chorus, multiple instrumental solos, and a bridge. Rock and metal fans will be delighted by the styling's of the 7 minutes and 38 seconds of this non-radio friendly track.

Operator's five man lineup is bursting with talent. Front man and vocalist Johnny Strong displays a diverse range of abilities, and his voice remains clear even when strained by more demanding performances.

This singer looks familiar

Like many LA residents, Johnny strong had, or perhaps still has, an acting career, and has had parts in movies such as The Fast and the Furious and Black Hawk Down. He is also a participant in MMA (mixed martial arts). A YouTube promo video for the upcoming album features Strong training for UFC.

The voice seems familiar too?

Strong's vocals hold a strong resemblance to one very famous rocker, Chris Cornell, formerly of Soundgarden and Audioslave. The comparison is often made, and it should not be an insult to Operator, as Chris Cornell, along with his band affiliations, have created some of the best music in history.

Have I seen this guitarist before?

The whaling riffs and blistering solos on Soulcrusher are provided by Paul Phillips, the former player from another LA act, Puddle of Mudd. The rest of the lineup includes local LA rockers, Wade Carpenter, Ricki Lixxm and Dorman Pantfoeder.

Bottom Line

Soulcrusher, unlike most recent mainstream releases, is not a collection of 11 radio friendly potential singles, is a calculated effort to write and release the best album as a whole product. It is not intended to be piecemealed apart to be divide up and sold as singles for fame and profit. Operator is the emergence of the real deal.

The album is a must-buy for fans of traditional rock, grunge, and metal who are not happy with what is played on the radio today.