Switzerland's own Kruger is representative of the influence that heavy American music as on the world. Yes, we always cite Americans being influenced by the Swedish, British and a umber of other nationalities and regions, but truth be told, Americans do alot of musical exporting as well, which includes the metal underground (and not so underground). Kruger combines mid to late 90's alternative metal with a modern Mastodon like atmosphere. However, does the combination of a hated past amongst metallers and a truly groundbreaking act such as Mastodon make it worthwhile to invest your eardrums?

From beginning to end, Kruger's latest album Redemption Through Looseness is no laughing matter. These guys are obviously very serious about their art and clearly should not be grouped in with the steretypical Ozzfesters of the late 90's, however, many an educated listener will not help be being about to establish a large portion of their influence from late 90's mainstream heavy rock. Does this impair the quality of the sound? Well, there was a reason why the late 90's was a low point with heavy music, considering the vast majority of so called heavy metal bands in the mainstream represented a clunky, un-intelligent, poorly developed, paint by numbers system (save for a few stand out) that left a bad taste in the mouth of most undergrounders. Can this be heard in Kruger's music? Unfortunately, yes; a large portion of Redemption Through Looseness is reminisicent of 90's Sepultura with less thrash influence and more of an epic (progressive at times) sound. Does this mean that this record is a hopeless endeavor of a Euro band attempting to revive a sound of a bygone era that many wish to remain in the past? Definitely not.

After listening to Redemption Through Looseness a couple of times to really get a feel for the album, I can't help but discover a certain charm that lies beneath the commonality of the initial kneejerk reaction. There is quite a bit of depth to this music (especially on the song Holy Fire), and I find this album becoming a bit warmer in the aural sense. Bands like Static-X who sound like they had a crash course in metal before taking on their project, are not in the same category as Kruger. These Swiss purveyors of heavy should not be lumped in with the nu-metal movement, because they are not generic, nor are they tailcoat riders. Unfortunately, the band is at its most creative and listenable during their softer moments on Holy Fire and Hummers vs Pedestrians, leaving those seeking a satisfying romp with aggression out in the cold (though the last half of the album shows promise in certain areas of heaviness). I find that the constant painful screams of vocalist Reno, to become irritating at times and repetitious

To summarize, Kruger could potentially find a market in the U.S. with the younger crowd as its a remarkably accessible gateway based on the success of similar sounding acts Mastodon, and after a quick Google session, the few reviews I found on this album have all been positive, which only helps. I, however, can't find myself becoming as generous. Is Redemption Through Looseness an entertaining album that should not be categorized as a future Ozzfest entry? Yes, but Blood Mountain it is not.