Mondoz

There’s something to be said for accessibility; it certainly can pay off in terms of exposure and radio airplay. Such is the case with Mondoz, a local four-piece metal outfit whose commercial sound has helped it land tunes on various TV and film projects (MTV’s T&A tease, Undressed, for example). So all is well in Mondo-land, right?

Yes and no.

From Here to Dystopia finds the quartet in decent form, producing well-sculpted slabs of hard rock. The sound is comparable to such arena heavyweights as Creed, with Dean Dichoso’s deep voice bellowing over thick cuts of disciplined fuzztones. Time changes are abundant, and the group vacillates between mid-tempo riff showcases and pulse-pounding moshers.

Lyrically, Mondoz communicates the usual tortured emotions and metal mumbo jumbo. Check out these samples: “You’ll taste the beauty that exists in the agony I know” (from “Revelate”) and “I’m a prisoner of my tortured mind” (from “Trapped”). But the ambiguous psychodrama doesn’t end there.

The band’s bio insists the CD is “dedicated to the celebration of the human spirit escaping the overbearing technological era that is stealing the essential individualism within the members of today’s society.” If that’s the case, perhaps Mondoz shouldn’t employ a slew of studio effects on its recordings, or even use electric guitars, for that matter.

Corny as it all is, you still have to give the guys their props when it comes to making commercially viable music, which very well may find its way onto radio before all is said and done. But like Creed, there’s too much forced angst here. If Mondoz could tone down the self-importance a notch or two, it could move beyond being a band with potential.