ASG

10/11/05 ASG – “Feeling Good Is Good Enough” Grade: B

ASG play rock that feels damn good. Their brand of hard rock is loud, fast, melodic, and gritty. Since I found the most recent Queens of the Stone Age and Foo Fighters releases thoroughly disappointing, I’d been looking for a solid, straight-ahead rock record. ASG’s “Feeling Good Is Good Enough” definitely suffices. The band has a raw sound with heavy punk riffs and some great vocals. The title track, “Dusty Roads,” and “Killers for Higher” possess a big rock feel and they manage to groove and soar at all the right times, as the band manages the dynamics of the songs well. “Cracks In The Sky” begins with early Sabbath style riffs that segue into melodic rhythm guitar playing and singing, all the while preserving the old school soul at the music’s core. ASG definitely draw from a diverse set of influences, but they never sound contrived. However, the record does feel too raw at times for the melodic rock that the band posits. The vocals can often become drowned out by the guitars, but they still resound. Also at 39 minutes, the band leaves you thirsting for more. This is definitely a good thing because the world needs more rock like this. In the end, ASG show promise of creating some great feel good rock in the future and are totally worth checking out.