With the second coming of heavy metal, a band like No Merit had to happen. This trio from Virginia was weaned on the pop metal of the ‘80's and is not afraid to let that influence shine. Musically, they pick up the torch Eddie Van Halen dropped a decade ago and up the ante by introducing a touch of Helmet's start/stop precision. Josh Dowdy's vocal cords are the result of a strange cross-breeding experiment between Axl Rose and Layne Staley, and they produce exactly the intended effect. As a part of their old-school revival, No Merit shrug off the angst of the current metal leaders and return to the dirty jokes, drunken photos and fun of yore. Ranging from the slinky "Suck It Up" to the all-out "Show Me the Money", the heavier portions of the album deal out plenty of arena-rock-sized energy. There are even a couple of slower tracks ("Cherry Tree" and "On the Floor") which give you an opportunity to snuggle close to your loved one. Topping things off with a ripping cover of Neil Diamond's "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," No Merit has released an album that rocks in the best sense of the word. This is a fist-pumping party that far surpasses the band's self-depreciating name.