Another band from the strong yet oft-overlooked Canadian Metal scene, Calgary's DERAILED play no-nonsense Heavy Metal, taking cues from Thrash and Progressive Metal on their sophomore effort "Underground". The album wanes of somewhat towards the end but is solid overall.

The first track, "Subway", is an extended opening piece that serves as a primer for what's to come. It's clear early that the band isn't afraid to experiment within the boundaries of their style, as Terry Cornelson sets the tempo his slightly off-kilter yet heavy drumming. The ending chords lead into the thrashing "Stillborn", which boasts razor-sharp guitars, powerhouse drums, and an undeniable energy that carries throughout the song. Guitarists Carlos Cruz and Dean Boland are a formidable duo, playing precise, tasteful rhythms and leads that complement each other well. Johnie Sinclair's vocals are solid, but nothing to write home about. Other than on the opening track, there are only a handful of moments where you can actually hear Greg Kristianson's bass at all; it sounds like it's almost mixed right out a la "...And Justice For All".

"Fryzone" has a little bit of everything, alternating between bursts of fast-paced demolition and slower parts with ease. It's not terribly different from "Stillborn", but delivers the message just as convincingly with its multitude of strong riffs and blistering leads. "Step Into Hell" tones things down a bit, trading sheer velocity for emphasis, and the result is a surprisingly catchy and memorable song, despite its lengthiness. "Damaged", a more straightforward thrasher, is another decent track with some of the better lyrics on the album.

The album rounds out with "Sinister" and "Warriors Creed", two decidedly different songs that, for me, kind of throw off the flow of the album a little bit. While the former is not a bad track by any means, at eleven minutes long it just feels like it drags on a bit longer than necessary, particularly between the four and six-minute marks, though there are still a few good moments to be found. "Warrior's Creed" is a so-so acoustic ballad that just feels a little out of place at the end of the album. Musically, it's a pretty good song, but lyrically it doesn't feel like it quite fits in with the rest of the songs, and it doesn't need the entirety of its six-minutes in length to get the message across.

"Underground" is a decent album, song for song. DERAILED are at their best when they don't try to get too adventurous with their arrangements, as on such well-composed standouts as "Fryzone" and "Step Into Hell". Despite the missteps later on the album, "Underground" as a whole is an enjoyable listen.