Review by Richie Pirone
I’ve got to be honest, I expected more from this record simply based on the band members’ past projects and what I’ve heard about this project. With further listens it started to grow on me but it never was able to blow me away. Fosterchild is Kevin Miller’s, formerly of Fuel fame, new band signed to Silent Majority Group who is part of Warner’s indie label group. The band is certainly heavier than Fuel was and Independence Day is, for the most part, radio ready and should be able to earn the band a minor hit. The real disappointment on this record is the vocals. Vocalist Danny Biessel sounds at times like many of the 90’s alternative rockers that this band almost certainly cites as influences but over all, if I had to pick just one, it would be Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots’ Core days which we’ve heard mimicked too many times. I was also expecting more out of guitarist Brian Quinn. I’ve heard this guy play before and he’s got some serious chops but this record just didn’t allow for them to shine through.
The one thing that comes back into my head time and time again when listening to this album is Alice In Chains. Fosterchild has done a great job to taking heavy riffs and welding them with open choruses reminiscent of Chains tunes like “Sea Of Sorrow,” especially in the mid-tempo rocker heavy first half of the record. And, of course, the record has the obligatory ballad in “Don’t Let Go,” which doesn’t break any new ground but high point of the song has got to be the hoot, hoot, hoot background vocals that sound like a throwback to 60’s doo-wop. The strongest track on the record has got to be “Bulletproof.” It’s one of the few truly upbeat, fast tempo songs on the record and it really what I had hoped for from the entire record. The song is loaded with riffs and gives you the feeling that you know what is about to hit the fan. For the most part Independence Day is a listenable record but it’s tough to think of it as much more. The riffs on this record will satisfy your average rock radio listener and 20-something bar rat but certainly not any metal fan. Hopefully this album is just a stepping-stone for Fosterchild as I really do believe that the band has much more potential than this record may lead some to believe.