311 - From Chaos (LP)

In the historical perspective of mainstream rock, Midwesterners 311 occupy a place somewhere between rap-rock pioneers like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the latter-day rap metal of Limp Bizkit, Korn, and the like. FROM CHAOS finds the group still young and hard enough to retain a substantial edge, but experienced enough to have gained a few extra tricks along the way. "You Wouldn't Believe," for instance, features actual singing instead of rapping, while "Sick Tight" works a bit of Alice In Chains flavor into the usual funk-rap-metal mix. That's not to say that the men of 311 have let their music soften; the bulk of FROM CHAOS finds the band employing plenty of the jackhammer riffs, musclebound rap-metal rhythms, and outspoken, anti-authority sentiments that initially defined their sound. It's just that they've been around long enough to have learned how to successfully leaven their attack with a few lean, mean touches that make the heaviness go down more smoothly. 311: Nicholas Hexum