Given Life has a very hard hitting, high energy rock sound that reminds me of Saliva and Static X. The vocals, when packaged with the headbanging music, can sometimes be shadowed and thusly overlooked. That's a production problem the engineer in the studio has to fix. His voice and the way they play remind me tremendously of TOOL.

In my youth, many moons ago, I used to go to rock and metal shows and I would find the mosh pit (that's what we called it - nowadays it's "slam dancing" - pfft..) and a song like "In Your Skin", with it's nail you to the wall intro, would have had us going second one. I think it's one of, if not THE strongest song off of the CD.

Most of the tracks are very familiar sounding and sometimes melt together and the vocals being lost among the hard pounding music is an occurrence which takes place on nearly every track, but for them it seems to work. There are times throughout the CD where, vocally, it's weak and hidden.

"Just Destroyed" is one of the best tracks and should be given a whole lot of notice. "No Suffering" also is a highlight that needs mentioning. Both differ from the general mould that Given Life has set forth for us. "No Suffering" stands out as being very gutsy and purposeful.

No kick you in the head album would be anywhere without the POWER BALLAD!! It's here and it's proud.. "Bullets" could easily some of us to tears with its clear, concise and heartfelt vocals and musical range. That is until they crank up the amperage and kick your ass.

If old school metal (and not talking to you people who think Poison was metal) is your bag and the current scene is something you look toward then I would really have to suggest checking out Given Life. If I have to rank it I'll have to give it a very solid 9.5/10.