Reborn: Deluxe

Returning with not only a fresh, more expansive sound but a new drummer, Trapt show off some new tricks on their fifth album, Reborn. Their first studio album since the departure of longtime drummer Aaron Montgomery, the album finds new guy Dylan Thomas Howard slotting into the band nicely, providing a solid backbone to support the band's crunchy, guitar-heavy rock. Most notably, though, is the addition of more atmospheric elements. Singer Chris Taylor Brown expands his repertoire to include some synthesizer and sampler work, adding a newfound depth to Trapt's otherwise straightforward sound. While they certainly haven't morphed into Linkin Park by any stretch, the change is definitely noticeable. Oftentimes when a band tries to dabble in the electronic side of things, there's a better than outside chance for catastrophe, but with Reborn the band manages to make the transition not only smooth, but welcome. A lot of this is probably owed to Trapt's unwillingness to stray too far from the huge riffs that have been their bread and butter for over a decade. It's hard to say they've gone too soft when a song like "Livewire (Light Me Up)" comes along and blows the doors off with a low-end guitar attack showing that no matter how many synths Trapt add to the mix, they're still a rock band at heart. In the end, Reborn might not be the total transformation that its name implies, but by changing up the formula a bit, Trapt can certainly rest assured that their fans will be coming back for more. ~ Gregory Heaney|