(ONe)

Album Review

Love 'em or hate 'em, there's no denying that Jane's Addiction were one of the pivotal bands of the alt-rock revolution of the early '90s. They were one of the first to pull metal and underground rock fans together, first with their 1988 major-label debut, Nothing's Shocking, and then as the creators and headliners for the first Lollapalooza tour. In short, they came to define much of the sound and style of alternative rock in the '90s. The Panic Channel features Dave Navarro and Stephen Perkins, the guitarist and drummer for Jane's; Chris Chaney, who took over for original Jane's bassist Eric Avery when the group reunited in 2003; and vocalist Steve Isaacs, who has spent time as an MTV VJ as well as some time on the stage. On their 2006 debut, (One), the Panic Channel sound like countless groups that followed in the wake of grunge. For all the world, the album sounds as if it could have been released in 1996 when MTV and the airwaves were inundated with bands that took the heavy sound of grunge, cleaned it up, and gave it a touch of classic rock formalism. Isaacs may be a cipher as a frontman, but Navarro, Perkins, and Chaney are coolly professional, so they always sound like nothing less than a competent Foo Fighters cover band. For those listeners who pine for a world when Seven Mary Three received heavy rotation, this will satisfy.