Band:	Inner Surge
Album:	Matrika
Style:	Metalcore
Release date:	2004

01. Censored
02. Backlash
03. Driven
04. The Fall
05. Beneficial Fever
06. Impact
07. The Deepest Wound
08. Our Rights
09. In Code
10. A New Program
11. Silencer
12. Bury The Evidence

The Punk movement isn't dead and neither is its influence. Hailing from Calgary, Canada this eccentric band called Inner Surge surely knows how to puzzle listeners. Ranging from punk rock to hardcore with no set boundaries, these guys gave me a refreshing slap in the face with their second album entitled "Matrika". Diversity, intensity and strong lyrics, Matrika is a trip to the best seas of the musical world.

Not afraid of using electronic sounds, rapping or eastern influences, Inner Surge crafts unusual but strongly appealing music. It's hard for me to compare their sound to anything else, and that's probably a very good sign! Slow-paced tempos, unusual guitar sounds, this is really interesting and so different. Even the lyrics are smart and well-written, due to the brains of the band leader, Steve Moore.

Maybe a touch of Rage Against The Machine in the rhythm, perhaps a touch of Deftones in the guitars at times but overall a large cup of creativity from Inner Surge is what protrudes. 'Backlash' is the first great moment of the album with its slow-paced tempo but catchy lyrics and twisted guitar lines. Several highlights follow, but the songs are so varied that it wouldn't do justice to this album to pick up one song after the other. Toward the end, 'Silencer' has some serious industrial sonorities but it is a collaboration with another artist, Textile Arcade.

Not the typical Metal album indeed, "Matrika" is not for stubborn purists but it would delight open-minded listeners. If you want to hear something out of the norm, "Matrika" stands as a winner. It has so many good influences and sounds like a perfect "break-the-rules" album that if you're or were at all into the raw sound of Rage Against The Machine, you'll love Inner Surge. One thing is certain, "Matrika" cannot be the last album from this talented band. I'm already yearning for more. And guess what? Another album is in preparation as we speak! But while waiting for the new opus, rush to their website and order the little jewel named "Matrika".