As Alternative Rock/ Metal tendencies rose in the early years of the 90's and changed the musical business (throwing Metal and Glam Metal out of the parades in USA) and Grunge Rock came, they started a new model that allows bands to experiment and expand limits. Until today, the echoes of such shift can be felt into music, as MARLA SINGER's "A Smell of Gunpowder" shows. It's a modern and more electrical manifestation of what acts as PEARL JAM and NIRVANA did on the 90's, on their primordial (and less boring) works. It's filled with a sharp and organic feeling (maybe an inheritance of 70's Punk Rock), and with a good balance between aggressiveness and melodic hooks, with a good technical level (the needed one for their songs to be expressed in the better way possible).

The band's music sounds alive and full of energy, and besides it could be better in some arrangements here and there, "A Smell of Gunpowder" is a good release, indeed. The sonority is something that can be expected of Alternative Rock/Metal acts: something filled with an organic feeling, with instrumental tunes sounding as simple and efficient as the band could choose. In other hand, the choice for something understandable is clear, what boost things up a lot, giving the band's songs an appeal that's hard to resist to. But one point must be mentioned: even in an old musical genre, the band knows what they do to make things sound alive and full of energy.

To take the best the album has to offer, pay attention to "Project Mayhem" (a massive flow of energy and aggressiveness flows from the speakers, but always with very good melodies created by the guitars), "If You Died Right Now, How Would You Feel About Your Life?" (the lovely melodies weaved with such sharp approach is a very good feature, indeed, with a simple and solid playing of bass guitar and drums), "Another Body Down" (another song with contrasts between energetic guitar riffs with some darkened and introspective touches), "How Dare You?" (the speed decrease a bit, so the greasy melodic feeling of it becomes hard to resist, and what good vocals can be heard), "U Always Kill the One U Love" (a song with simple melodies inherited of Punk Rock), and "Dig Up".

MARLA SINGER did a very good offering to the fans with "A Smell of Gunpowder", but they're a band with more to evolve (which is good, so imagine how great they can be).