27 Down, 'Music Takes You Away'

On "Music Takes You Away", Burlington's own 27 Down serve up a compelling blend of crunching, grooving riff-rock and bright chordal melodies. Not afraid of shifting gears, the band reaches into the effects bag on "Labyrinth of Lies" to deliver a hypnotic main guitar line and then cools it down with a plaintive piano piece on the title track. Guitarist Aaron Cowan's use of various tones packs quite a punch, as does his fluid lead style. Listen for the bonus track where vocalist Jess Colombo does his best "Lizard King". - Dan Cullity

Audio Sample (56K Windows Media)