doubleDrive's CD 1000 Yard Stare, while not exactly a "shredder's delight," is an enjoyable CD. The guitar work has a decidedly 90's heavy crunching sound, but the hooks are well-written and you can occasionally hear a little 80's influence in the playing. The band was a hot local act in the Atlanta, Georgia area, and a track off of their demo, "Tattooed Bruise," was enjoying heavy airplay on influential Orlando, Florida radio station WJRR. It didn't take long for labels to start noticing these guys, and they soon had a record deal with MCA.

It's hard to classify doubleDrive's sound. In your mind, take a really cool 90's rock band...OK, I know that can be difficult, so let me help you. Take a really cool 90's rock band like Creed, mix in a tiny dash of 80's rock attitude, add the tiniest pinch of early Nine Inch Nails rhythms in a few places (I'm thinking "Head Like a Hole" here). Toss in a sprinkle of Soundgarden. Then, realize that doubleDrive is a southern-based band and mix in a decent amount of southern-rock influence. If you're thinking of morose grunge rock now, you're way off base. This is, for the most part, fun stuff. Are you with me? Probably not, but believe me, it's a cool, very catchy sound. Almost all of the tracks sound like they could be in regular rotation at your local hard rock radio station, whether they lean heavily toward 90's rock or they still have one foot in the 80's.

Here's the track by track review:
1. Belief System - Cool drums interplaying with a "start & stop" guitar riff. Then the main guitar hook and the bass line hit you for the first time and you realize this disc has definite possibilities.
2. Dressed In Light - A good tune that reminded me of an old Arizona band called the Sidewinders. Kind of a "desert-rock" sound but with bigger balls.
3. 1000 Yard Stare - I'd describe the title track as a thinking man's rocker. Subtle things in the vocals evoke thoughts of Creed. The title is a phrase coined by Walter Cronkite to describe the distant look in the eyes of U.S. servicemen returning from Vietnam. Check out the lyrics on this one.
4. Hell - Another catchy tune that strikes a delicate balance between the attitude-soaked lyrics and the well thought-out layering of the guitars.
5. Smaller - Decent vocal harmonies (from a 90's rock band, really!) and a cool bass line. The band lets loose a little on this one.
6. Vamp - Starts out slow and quiet, then the guitar sears it's way into the mix, picking up the pace a bit. Probably my least favorite track, but it's not because it's particularly bad, it's because of how much I like the other tracks on the disc.
7. Sacrifice - This song has some serious balls. Heavy drumming and mean strumming. At times, it's got that early Nine Inch Nails feel to it that I mentioned earlier. But in no way would I describe it as "Industrial." I marvel at how fine a musical line these guys can walk.
8. Gone - Heavy, crunchy. Then unexpectedly soft and acoustic. Then hot and heavy again. For the shred lovers, a small solo, although don't expect high speed. It fits the song well, though.
9. Tattoed Bruise - The track that garnered the band a lot of attention. Chances are you've heard this one at least once on the radio (even our crappy Kid Rock/Limp Bizkit loving rock station here in Connecticut plays it). Heavy 90's guitar throughout, but some of the breaks have a definite 80's flair to them. This tune flat out rocks.
10. Reason - (Shredfest's Hot Pick) I'll admit that I probably like this song the best because there's the least amount of distortion on the guitar. It's a cleaner guitar sound throughout the song. Vocalist Donnie Hamby displays good range. To me, this has "smash hit" written all over it; it's very "radio-friendly." You will find this tune going through your head quite a bit.
11. Stand By - A fun romp with some little guitar effects tossed in here and there. Josh Sattler swings a mean bass in here, sounding a lot like Slaughter's Dana Strum. Guitarist Troy McLawhorn whips out the best solo on the disc, too. And drummer Mike Froedge beats the hell out of his skins.
87. Mexican Radio - Yes, it's track 87. It's kind of "hidden" on the disc. A stinging cover of Wall of Voodoo's "Mexican Radio." Hamby does a good job with the vocals, capturing the feel of the original pretty well. A fun way to end this pleasant surprise of a CD.
Multimedia Features - This is an "Enhanced CD" meaning you can stick it in your computer and watch some video clips, check out some band pics, read the band's bio, and get links to the doubleDrive and MCA websites. Pretty cool!

Around The House of Shred, we tend to dislike most 90's rock because the bands typically don't display a whole lot of musical talent. Well, doubleDrive can't be lumped into that category. They are a very tight band, and while they don't do a lot of individual soloing, their musical talent comes through in their songs anyway - a tough accomplishment. However, we are a shred guitar site, first and foremost, and the lack of really rippin' guitar solos hurts this disc's rating here. It has to. But for those with an open mind about the 90's guitar sound and those who can live without a lot of self-indulgent solos as long as the songs are well-written and well-executed, 1000 Yard Stare is a CD worth picking up, and doubleDrive is a band worth watching.

Reviewed by Shredfest

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