(hed) pe: Blackout : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Even within the intentionally brainless world of rap metal, (hed) PE are dumb, dumb, dumb. And by that, we mean dumb-bad. Unblessed with the eccentricity of System of a Down, the tenderness (and fury) of Linkin Park or the snotty bravado of Limp Bizkit, these Huntington Beach, California, fellas take elements of all of the above, slap them together and somehow still end up sounding like uninspired Chili Peppers impersonators. Singer Jethro, er, Jahred rants and roars lyrics that wouldn't be good enough for a Mad TV skit. One goes, "I see through plastic skin/I gotta get out/Gotta get out/In." Dude, what? On "Getaway," the band waddles into a weak reggae groove before devolving into rote electric chugga-chugga, while "Crazy" flails about with standard-issue "slamming" guitars and a lame Ice Cube quote from Jahred. The burlier species of modern rock only works when a band seasons its rage with something unexpected, like compassion or a shred of melody. (hed) PE bring neither to the table, although they may have occasionally watched MTV -- that would explain why Blackout plays like a bad rerun.

PAT BLASHILL
(From RS 920, April 17, 2003)