by Eric Hancsak
June 23, 2006

Live are one of the bands I grew up with, so to speak. I had the opportunity to see them in a small club in high-school, right before Mental Jewelry broke. Then through the years got to see them evolve into a massive attraction, filling 20,000 seat amphitheaters. So, needless to say this band has a special place in my heart. Because of this fact, I am going to go easy on them.

All I can say is, they can do better. Much better. Their latest release Black Mountain, comes at a time when the social wrongs of the world would fit perfectly into what they do - considering their history of activism and protest. But many of the songs on this record come across as formulaic attempts to grasp the "adult contemporary" market, instead of demanding action and change. Black Mountain is not a total loss (there are bright spots) but it is close.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5