Artist: Grace Gale
Album: A Few Easy Steps to Secure Heli-Camel Safety
Label: Blackout Records
Tracks: 9
Length: 33:54

From judging by the album art of this cd a “heli-camel” is some crazy merging of a helicopter and a camel. The concept is both somewhat clever and rather disturbing all at the same time. However, the next time I have the opportunity to travel via a heli-camel I’ll be sure to heed this album’s advice.

Musically this cd does a ballet between hardcore/metalcore, emo, and post-punk. As with most albums that pick and choose genres like this, the going can be rather uneven. There are high points and then parts that feel pretty juvenile. Surprisingly everything weaves together very well.

The most interesting parts of this album are where guitar players burst out some quirky, speedy guitar solos. Some of them would even feel at home on a Buckethead album. Even if Grace Gale’s overall sound isn’t really like Buckethead at all, the very fact that they can lay down guitar work reminiscent of his is quite a testament to their technical skill.

The last track, “Six of Hearts,” is the best track on the album. It has a marvelous shout-a-long chorus that brings to mind some work from The Blood Brothers. It is one of those choruses that get stuck in your head. This song will sell quite a few albums at shows when people hear it live.

If you like flashy guitar work wrapped around a hardcore candy wrapper, please check Grace Gale out. While they’re not always the most original kids in the lot, there are definitely a lot of upsides to this album.