Instruction 
by Zane Ewton

Instruction – God Doesn’t Care
Label: Geffen
Rating: 
 

Tracks: Great Lean On You Are You Happy? I'm Dead Breakdown Pissed Me Off Again Death To The 4 Car Garage Band Feed The Culture Your Punk Sucks Types To Exceptions Three Stops Short Of Dagenham Untitled

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How does a U.S. band kick-start their career when their own hometown is indifferent to them?  Move to the U.K. where the British music press will treat you like conquering heroes, the ensuing hype will land you a deal with a huge record company and might even get your band a big name producer for your debut album.

This is exactly what New York bred Instruction did to get their career moving.  They toured the U.K. earlier this year, Geffen records snatched them up after Kerrang! Magazine labeled them “rising stars” and they have now released their full –length debut, God Doesn’t Care, with the help of long-time rock producer Bob Ezrin.

But this time the British hype-machine was right on the money.  Instruction is a strong band that has produced a solid rock record for their debut. Varied and interesting, there is not a single throwaway track.  The band takes a stab at several different styles but is able to bring it all together into one cohesive and hard-rocking album.

The guitars are loud, the lead singer has swagger but the songs are still intelligent.  There are several hit tracks on this album, too many for a normal debut album.

Both “Great” and “Lean on You” are straightforward hard rock tracks.  “I’m Dead” leans more towards the modern rock formula with its big sing-a-long vocals.  “Breakdown” bounces back with menacing vocals and a crushing intro.  “Pissed Me off Again” is punk guitars without the punk posing.

“Death to the 4 Car Garage Band” treads back into the modern rock territory.  Instruction breaks out the sitars for “Feed the Culture,” which is the easiest track to pass right on by.  “Your Punk Sucks” has a few words for the pop-punk craze in all the malls, but it says nothing we haven’t heard before or said.  “Three Stops Short of Dagenham” is as close to a Radiohead and Foo Fighters collaboration as their ever will be.

For as good as this album is, it may be tainted by the huge marks from the band’s influences.  Instruction makes some very radio friendly music that will never be played on the radio due to singer Arty Shepard’s salty language.  Somehow this band merges two extremes together for decent results, but they probably sound too much like other bands to ever have a lasting effect.

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