This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracka and multimedia computer files.

Five Foot Thick: George Silva (vocals, guitar); Matt "GZUZ" Gonzales (vocals, keyboards, tables, samples); Kris Demers (vocals, bass); Bryan Dilling (vocals); Silas McQuain (drums).

Recorded at Robert Lang Studios, Seattle, Washington.

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.

Personnel: George Silva (vocals, guitar); Matt "GZUS" Gonzales (vocals, keyboards, sampler, turntables); Bryan Dilling, Kris Demers (vocals); Silas McQuain (drums).

Recording information: House Of Sound Studios, Spokane, WA; Robert Lane Studios, Seattle, WA.

Northwestern metal band Five Foot Thick makes its national debut on record with Blood Puddle (there was a previous regional release, Circles, in 2000), and, while brief (one generally expects a full-length CD to run longer than the 33 minutes found here), it establishes the newcomers as a presence in the realm of thrash-metal. Guitarist George Silva dominates the sonic picture with power chords over the solid rhythm section of bassist Kris Demers and drummer Silas McQuain, with Matt "Gzus" Gonzales filling up any remaining holes with his keyboard and turntable contributions. The resulting sonic sludge supports singer Bryan Dilling, whose vocals are in the familiar, aggressive howl of the genre. Many years ago, metal antecedents like Ozzy Osbourne and Judas Priest had to go to court to defend themselves against charges that their records promoted suicide and violence, but we've come a long way (one way or the other) since then, and Dilling can unabashedly taunt the object of his rage on the opening track, "Unfounded," by yelling, "Why don't you kill yourself?" His anger does not diminish over the course of half-an-hour, and listeners looking for a rock band to express their own personal frustrations will find their ids reflected in the lyrics. Five Foot Thick does not demonstrate any talent for taking metal music beyond its rigid stylistic limitations on this release, but the group does seem ready to play with the big boys. (Despite the frequent use of common obscenities, the album does not contain a parental advisory sticker.) ~ William Ruhlmann