You were probably ready to pigeonhole this release as another Deep Elm Records emo-styled something or other, weren't you? Perhaps I might have been in the same boat as you, but how terribly wrong we both were to prejudge. Didn’t your Mom warn you about being so foolish? Prepare for a wall of menacing guitars and strapping lyrical lines that will wash over you with the force of a honed, time-tested musical machine.

This isn't Seven Storey Mountain's debut by any means; they've been ransacking people's ears since the mid-nineties. What's immediately apparent and remarkably impressive about Based On a True Story is its crafty application of various tempo changes. The opening track, "So Soon," throttles a steady stream of punk energy into the guitar, bass and drums, then discharges it as a hook ridden, masterful display of fear inducing, controlled mayhem. Full toned bass lines are juxtaposed with a guitar that slyly switches from clean and calm chords to a distorted wall of noise that's impenetrable. Guitarist/vocalist Lance Jammer reminds me of Dave Grohl, with a voice that's raspy, confident and able to deliver tasty lyrics in a style that's meaningful without sounding sappy or haughty. Jammer attacks everything from worthless elected officials ("Politician") to vacuous, empty-headed individuals ("Waste of Time"). Frankly, it sounds like Jammer has several chips on his shoulder and each of these seven tunes does an excellent job of either exorcising his personal demons or subtly showcasing a man submerged in thoughts that are overpowering his mind. There’s not a lot of emo here, so pack up your V-neck sweater and jump on the post-punk aural destruction bandwagon as you’ll want to stick with this CD all the way to the last chord.