Altered Zones

You can pigeonhole 'em into two categories-- live bands or album bands. JEFF The Brotherhood is first and foremost a live band; they totally went ham last year on their 230-show endurance run through 2010. For you math nuts out there, that means JEFF toured for more than 63% of last year. If I hadn't heard them, their intense touring would tell me that they rule live, but their album probably sucks. Let's face it: it's rare when a band have both on lock. And while the genre has been on the decline for some time now, We Are The Champions is the one of the strongest indie rock albums I've heard this year. While JEFF have built a reputation on slaughtering on stage, the song that actually hits the hardest, "Diamond Way," is one of their softest. No, It's not the shredder you moshed hardest to at the show. No, It won't lead to another battle scar from that drunk girl with the mood ring. But yes, "Diamond Way" does prove that JEFF is more than just another band to thrash to. --Ric Leichtung, Altered Zones

MP3: JEFF The Brotherhood: "Diamond Way"

We Are The Champions will drop June 21st on Infinity Cat Records

--Previously

MP3: JEFF The Brotherhood: "Shredder"