Reaching for the peak

Topsy-Turvy
The Apex Theory
Dreamworks The Apex Theory boasts a slot on both the MTV2 tour and Ozzfest this year. Hurray for huge-money-making-confounded-band-tours. This revelation holds some disappointment. Here is this new band with a cool sound -- noisy but not obnoxious, with percussive vocals, minor keys and time changes reminiscent of a bastard son with issues. Regardless, Topsy-Turvy has the finesse of a band with dough to spend in the studio. You know this band is going to end up getting screwed by the labels just like everyone else. And, yeah, you will most likely eventually get sick of hearing the songs on TV and the radio. The Apex Theory attempts to mix the ferocity of anger with their instruments, and for the most part hits its peak successfully. "Shh… Hope Diggy" is by far the coolest song on the album. Who knows what "hope diggy" means, but with singer-lyricist Andy Khachaturian's spitfire rhythmic vocals and wicked alliteration in the last verse, it stands on its own. This song and a few others are also on the band's self-released 2000 EP extendemo, and Topsy-Turvy gives the band a chance to expand on its developing potential. For guitars, think distortion with some well-placed effects. For percussion, think fast, light, sharp and heavy -- it's all in there at some point. For bass, think what a bassman is supposed to do, keep the beat stylishly without interfering. For lyrics, think bitterness with an intelligent bite. Sure there's some "you screwed me over, the world hates me, I hate you" going on, but Khachaturian is eloquent enough to make the same old whine interesting. The group says on its Web site that the individual members bring a Mediterranean musical background to its sound, which is believable. Even though the band is following along the same footsteps as many of the nu-metal-rock artists of the day (that collectively don't amount to much) The Apex Theory adds enough spice to make it relatively interesting. The band's forte is definitely in its fast-paced percussive work. Sure drummer Sammy J. Watson is pretty good, but the overtly percussive feel infects everyone else too. The Apex Theory might not be challenging any genres, standing up to the corporate music world or doing anything particularly new, but at least these musicians know how to play their music.