Posted: March 8th, 2008
Contributed By: Nick

	Purchase @ Amazon.com Release Date: February 20th, 2009
	All Four Nothing is: Andre LaFollette (Vocals / Guitar) Mike Mantegna (Guitar) Craig Sibal (Bass) Joe Morrison (Drums)

Overview: All Four Nothing came together in 2005, birthed out of Baltimore, Maryland. In the years since, the quartet has shared the stage with the likes of Egypt Central and Under the Flood. After three years of grinding it out on the road, All Four Nothing dropped their debut ‘Fire Eater‘. A trio of songs from the record will be featured on three different compilations, including a Stone Temple Pilots tribute as well as a Nikki Sixx bio soundtrack.

The Good: All Four Nothing’s first breath of flame is “Engines”, a track as revved up as its namesake. However the band makes sure to carefully and meticulously break her in before the pistons really start pumping. If Soundgarden and Stereoside made a baby that was born into Pearl Jam’s album ‘Vs.‘, it would be “Dead to Me”. Vocalist Andre LaFollette flashes shades of Jeff Shields, while the song’s ravenous main riff and nostalgic vibe ensure your enjoyment. The chunky and throbbing “Run Over You” boasts a killer bridge, from the guitar build-up to the spastic drum run that seals the deal. “All Wrong” is a catchy overachiever. Its chorus is embossed by beefy gang vocals and the song’s opening lyric (”playin’ games in the backyard/cops and robbers went too far”) might be the album’s best. All Four Nothing starts “Cataracts” on a funky, Doobie Brothers high that transpires into a crafty little tune. The band daintily tiptoes behind the lyric “you can see heaven”, animating the song at a perfect point. A grungy rendition on a late 90’s alt-rock song, “Every Little Thing” is certainly a very intriguing listen. “Nowhere” is eclectic and energetic, although it’s the studious dynamics of All Four Nothing that make this song come alive. “Blood In The Water” begins with a growling crescendo before punching right in. The Kim Thayil influence on this song is undeniable, yet A4N make it their own; gritty, bossy, and chockfull of expansive melodies, “Blood In The Water” is the most thorough track off ‘Fire Eater‘. “SKB” should stand for straight kick to the balls, a frisky and haunting jaunt with a tribal bridge that’s strait up nasty. The finale “Invisible No More” is a driving and rugged throwback that summarizes ‘Fire Eater‘ eloquently. All Four Nothing punch your lights out for the grand finale, pummeling you with an arsenal of explosive downbeats.

The Bad: The first three tracks of ‘Fire Eater‘ are nearly perfect. But from “All Wrong” to the end, the album needs some work. Not only are the drums buried in the mix of “All Wrong” but drummer Joe Morrison is way too busy. The band should have run with the texturing they implemented on “Cataracts”, such as the funky vibe of the intro as well as the gracefulness I previously pointed out. The bridge of “SKB” is sweet but it doesn’t really progress, as A4N could have taken the last few measures and done something spectacular. The biggest drawback to ‘Fire Eater‘ is the extra fat weighing down several songs, specifically “All Wrong”, “Nowhere”, and “Invisible No More”. Despite a ripping solo, the bridge of “All Wrong” is useless, sandbagging a track All Four Nothing should eventually pursue as a single. Instead of ending “Nowhere” on a mellow note, the band should have blasted to the end the way they jammed from the 3:43-4:00 marks. Although Mike Mantegna is a quality guitarist, two separate solos on “Invisible No More” are a bit much.

Bottomline: All Four Nothing have created a tremendous amount of positive momentum with ‘Fire Eater‘. The band packs a raw, no BS hard rock punch that will resonate with fans from Foghat to Foo Fighters. Sure, ‘Fire Eater‘ needs some tidying up and a more definitive direction. But overall, All Four Nothing have provided plenty of flames on which to feast.

TuneLab Rating: 6.5 out of 10