Endo prefer not to waste time. From the second track, they drag the listener into their hard-hitting, fast-paced assault. "Leave Us Alone" has big, big teeth that bite into your mind and clamp down hard. Somewhere between Rage Against the Machine and Pantera, Endo carve out their space with a hunting knife in a chaotic, dark world.

What binds this band together is the bass. Bassist Zelick provides not only the groundwork, but the frame for the band; heavy distortion provides real substance and muscle behind the fast-paced beats. On tracks like "Listen," it seems as if the vocals are emphasizing the bass, rather than the reverse. Several effects are used to augment the sound; a fretless even appears in "The Program". At times calculated and at others emotional, Zelick demonstrates true mastery. Rage-esque guitar work by Eli Parker complements him well. Joel Suarez rounds out the sound with his attack on drums. Frontman Gil Bitton often draws a comparison between Suarez and Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo, and it's a well-deserved evaluation -- both draw on their Cuban roots to lay down percussion everywhere in the measures.

Of course, the lyrics are not to be ignored. "Penicillin" exemplifies an Endo song: while at first listen, the words come across as angry mutterings, repeated listenings reveal Bitton working through his inner demons and showing us a way through the pain also. He speaks of wanting to become someone different and leave his own mess of paranoia and anxiety. Instead of getting a sense of despair, though, you somehow feel better, as if your own demons have been exorcised. "Suffer" laments the inability of a friend to move on from grief, and the effect it has on those around them. The phrase "Let it go!" rings throughout "Suffer" and in several of Evolve's other songs. Letting go is precisely what Bitton is aiming for in these songs. It's a catharsis he wants us to share. Even overtly aggressive songs like "Malice" leave you with an intense feeling of satisfaction: it feels so good to sing along with Gil.

Endo are indeed evolving, and they invite us to evolve with them. For those of us who prefer our therapy on a compact disc, this one's a keeper.