DARK SHIFT – “Gaining Ground”
    Style – High-energy thrash metal
    Origin – Milwaukee, WI (USA)
    Mike’s Review – The day after I saw this band live, I could have easily written a lengthy review for them about how much these guys kick ass.  Their live performance was so energetic and their stage performance was so impressive that for the time they were on stage, nothing else seemed to exist.  The band played together so tightly it looked as if they were programmed robots with human emotions and intense clouds of energy keeping them pumped up (or maybe it was the beer).  When I was a younger and day dreamed of being a rock star that is the type of setting that I wanted to be in.  It was a great performance and it looked like they were four close brothers up there having the time of their lives.

And now onto the review of the CD.  “Gaining Ground” takes their high energy metal  and puts it all on this little disc that you can put into and compact disc player and play for all for friends.  But unfortunately the current technology can’t quite capture all the raw energy filtered into the air at their concerts.  So, trying to explain the cool indestructible feeling that I got after seeing them live is a bit more difficult because it’s simply just a CD.  I thought of a solution though.  I am going to pop in this CD, take a beer bong, have a friend drink about 10 cans of Redbull, eat a pound of sugar, and then try playing some Guitar Hero or compete in the National Air-guitar Championship.  Damn it, I ventured away from reviewing the actual CD again.  OK, here are the details for the CD.  10 tracks of high-energy metal.  Influences include Dream Theatre, Metallica, Pantera, Kalmah, Death, Slayer, and more.  Includes numerous killer guitars solos and a bunch of good old-fashioned ass-kicking music.   Get their CD, check them out live (they are playing at Milwaukee Metalfest May 11th this year), and check out their music online at www.myspace.com/darkshift or www.darkshift.com

Vocals: 7.5  Music: 10  Originality: 10  Production: 9.0
Overall: 9.0 (the live show gets a 10 though)