Three years ago I received the third album of this New York harmonious band, "Blood Scent". I remember writing about it with keenness as it blew me away. Yes, STEMM can do that to you. Now, three years later, I was introduced to their fourth album, again via Catch 22 Records, "Cross Roads". Although I think that "Blood Scent" was remotely better than this here release, STEMM still delivered the goods with both the harshness of strong and groovy Metalcore with deep shrapnel of emotion.

In the same vein of "Blood Scent", "Cross Roads" holds those same characteristics that produced a well written and made Metalcore. The production mainly remained the same. The album was well mixed and mastered; it has a tremendous force while every single channel sounded clear. Merely I like the old school production that weren't as shabby as nowadays, but I had to give it to some of the newer Metal / Hard Rock productions due to their accuracy, clarity and power.

In comparison to other analogous acts, STEMM aren't that brutal as they seem to be. Let's say that they are more Hardcore than Metal while spreading their infection with modernized Hard Rock attributes. The music in general is pretty straightforward following a large assortment of grooves, Grunge resembling octaves, Hardcore kick downs while not leaving behind some enticing Rock driven solos that were in the right spots. Though almost nothing of the material that STEMM wrote for this album didn't shape up to be in the line of originality, it still served as a hell of a release due to the band's knowledge of how to hit the right nerves, at least mine. On the whole, a number of the bands relaying on the same subgenre usually play with force and wild energies, STEMM is right with them but in the end, STEMM touched my soul way than most of the others. May it be their strapping passion, harmonized features it's not the first time that I felt good about a release of theirs.

STEMMpunctured my stem cells with some cracking tunes that once again proved their worth. "Monster" is a re-recording of a song they presented back in 2005. I didn't know this song before but when I listened to it, I was deeply amazed. This song has everything that is between dismembering aggression to touching smoothness. "Dead Inside", "Left Behind" and "After The Tide" may sound like typical modern groovy tracks especially with their catchy, and well expected, choruses but with their high form written music, they were aside to what is common. "Smile And Wave" had a one hell of a solo blazer near its end that just melted me right away, also it is a great song. "Supernaut" is STEMM's tribute to the gods of groovy Hard Rock / Metal music and that is BLACK SABBATH. With a great performance, STEMM did great honours.

Without further due I highly propose STEMM's new album "Cross Roads" for you guys. Even old school fans should take notice of this release as in contrast to numerous of others, this one is truly impressive and in away addictive.