Survival Story

iTunes Review

Flobots’ sophomore album Survival Story sounds like they grew up listening to plenty of Tool and Rage Against the Machine — especially the latter where socio-political lyrical content is concerned. But it’s hard to tell if the Denver sextet are trying to bring back rap-rock or simply blasting guitar distortion and impressive fretboard dexterity in between their rhymes to punctuate their political message (which mostly revolves around ending the Middle Eastern occupation and bringing the troops back home). Either way, Mackenzie Roberts’ viola actually upstages most of the guitar work here with her dramatic swells and tension-building drones. If the opening cut “Cracks In the Surface” doesn’t grab you right away, its following number “The Effect” will, as MCs Jonny 5 and Brer Rabbit throw down some ping-pong call-and-response rhymes, while Mackenzie approximates turntable scratches on the bow. The apocalyptic-based “Defend Atlantis” sounds more like a result of watching the disaster movie 2012, but their anthemic anti-war hit “White Flag Warrior” makes up for it with a cameo by Rise Against’s Tim McIlrath.