'DisInfoNation' is the first full-length album from Feeding The Fire - a prog-rock four piece from North Carolina. The band's sound comes across as being very contained and controlled due to very clean and precise production. The drums are pure bite without much bark to them. Even the distorted guitars sound pretty. So the overall effect is cerebral rather than visceral. And, for these guys, no doubt it suits them down to the ground.

Vocalist Ken Cannon leans towards the pop end of the spectrum sounding, to my ears, a little like Erasure's Andy Bell. Aptly named drummer Keith Cannon, like Neil Peart, enjoys his rototoms while Andrew Hoover isn't immune to the charms of Alex Lifeson either as can be heard on 'Fishtory' and 'D'Nile'. Not to be left out Eric Smith, according to the band's official website, enjoys playing "Lead Bass" but, while he is indeed a busy little fellow, I wouldn't accuse him of anything as damning as soloing because he does do a sterling job of holding down the groove whilst remaining inventive.

Despite all the positive individual elements within the band I find it very hard to become engaged with this album. It's only when the band takes a lengthy bounding step outside their core material that I begin to take notice. 'The Life, Love, & Death Of Sucio Sanchez (Part I)' as you might guess by the title, ventures south of the border into Latin America. And it's in this location that the guitars and the trumpets are bang on the money. The track features some astounding violin playing that is truly a high point.

'Ms. Brownstone' almost manages to catch fire with a beefier production all round - even the drums have found corporeal form. But like the other tracks on the album it seems to search for a place to go but never really finds it. 'Crash Landing' also goes in search of a chorus but comes back despondent and empty-handed.

One song that had potential for me was 'La Mort Du Soleil'. This could have been a nice and simple melodic number but simple doesn't come easy for Feeding The Fire and the song ends up sounding distinctly messy and overcomplicated by drums and guitar.

Part III of what I will call the Sanchez Saga reprises all the best parts of Part I and manages to end the album on a danceable high.

http://www.feedingthefire.com/

http://www.myspace.com/feedingthefire