An SOS from Queens.

SOS - Adios Bandito (self-released)

Considering SOS has been plugging away since 1994 without a record deal, you could almost say their music has benefited immensely from the band's almost decade-long struggle for recognition. This seems to have helped them create a cocky swagger that instantaneously draws you into the music on Adios Bandito. The Queens-based quartet grooves hard, packs a punch and still retains a somewhat melodic side without succumbing to bad whininess that plagues major-label rock acts.

Taking a cue from Glen Danzig, lead singer/bassist Adam Mastrosimone delivers vocal lines that weave between clean, crisp melody and guttural bellowing. He has a unique vocal style, and when he belts out "The fact is if they shut it down, there won't be guys like us around" he makes you feel every bit of it. Guitarists Mike SOS and Mike Vittiglio alternate between chainsaw riffing on "Ole Matador" and old-school metal chunkiness on "Humanity." They're kept on course by drummer John Calligan who seems to play like a hyperactive child who hasn't ingested his Ritalin. You have to give SOS a lot of points for being brave enough to be melodic, which is often instant death in rock music, as it usually means a whiny vocalist complaining about his girlfriend dumping him. These guys do it with hearty dose of moodiness and energy on "Why It Has To Be" and "Breathing Room."

What's most appealing about these guys is that they don't sound like any other New York City band. No mass ripping off of Sonic Youth, Television or Mudhoney here. Tracks such as "Foolproof" and "On The Spot" pull influences from all over the place, but the band never lowers themselves to the level of blatant rip-off. The music is too melodic for hardcore metal heads, too heavy for punk purists and much too real rock for any New York City critic that cites the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as some proof of a "rock revival."

In addition to their ability to pack a punch, SOS also does a superb job of keeping a listener on their toes. "Nicey Nice" and "Movers and Shakers" never fall back on hard rock clichés or simple hooks. There are enough interesting surprises in the time changes and guitar riffs that you never grow weary of hearing "Dirt" or "Hitchhiker" (which makes you laugh out loud with its spoken word delivery).

About the only knock I could give these guys is that they tried to do too much on this album. Among the 19 tracks, there are a few clunkers, like the horrible ballad "Drive," which should've been left off. If they would've stopped after track 12 they would've had a solid, unstoppable album.

Overall, however, these guys are a damn fine example of what a band can do by sticking to their guns all these years and not tailoring their sound to fit any preconceived notions. And considering that they're New York City-based, where critics and industry reps tend to look down their noses at rock bands that aren't "ironic" or look like they belong on the cover of the now defunct Shout NY, that's a ballsy move.