Miracle

On their seventh studio album, Miracle, Nonpoint continue trudging down the same alt-metal path that they started on over a decade ago. Rather than taking off in any bold new directions, the band does what it does best and delivers another album of heavy, hard rocking riffage. The marching chug of “Crazy” shows off Nonpoint’s straightforward, no-nonsense approach to songwriting. These guys aren’t worried about redefining the genre, and to that end there’s no virtuoso magic or studio trickery at work. But that’s not really the point of a band like this. It’s not about “sparkle and wow,” but is instead about serving up a big ol’ plate of giant guitars and rock-solid songwriting. The most impressive part is that while Nonpoint have been honing their craft and working off the same formula for a while now, the music doesn’t feel soulless. There’s still plenty of passion in Elias Soriano’s vocals, and Zach Broderick’s guitar riffs don’t feel like retreads of their older work. Whatever songwriting formula these guys have worked out for themselves, it seems to be working just fine after all this time. Miracle is certain to please Nonpoint fans, and could easily make converts out of lovers of Godsmack or Disturbed. ~ Gregory Heaney