Like a Storm is a band from Aukland, New Zealand, who have been influenced by all the wrong bands. They will probably tell you they are influenced by AC/DC and Motley Crue, but don't let marketing fool you.They are influenced by Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, and to a lesser degree Audiovent. Remember them? Ha probably not. I think I was the only one who bought the Audiovent album.

Like a Storm has released their album The End of the Beginning and it is music for the WWE fan. Crunching guitars that don't really exude angst, pounding drums that sound the same from song two to song 12 and a bass line that follows the drums in their originality.

Those were my initial thoughts on one pass through the CD. I set out to do some research and found the following:

The band's hit song Lie to Me was the official song of TNA's pay-per-view event Genesis.

Well that proved me right on the WWE crowd. I don't know what it is about that demographic, but they are part of the problem. They love the post-grunge, post-hardcore and "alternative" metal. They love that sound and that song crafting. To me it sounds the same. You could insert Ben from Breaking Benjamin in Like a Storm and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Maybe that is the point. Maybe it is the record label, Prospect Park, trying to capitalize on what is dominating the radio airwaves. If so, make your money while you can kiddies.

The first song is an instrumental song that is fifty seconds of basic nothingness. It is a space waster. Why this is on the album is a mystery to me.

Chemical Infatuation is the second song on The End of the Beginning and it cookie cutter by design. It is the perfectly crafted for the Luddite radio crowd. The song blasts outwith loud, low crunching guitars that sound like a radio warning about an eminent F5 tornado. The singing is low, on purpose, so when Chris Brooks sings the chorus it is catchy.

The chorus of Chemical Infatuation is catchy, I'll give them that. The guitars switch to an upbeat feel from the low sound. The drums flip from just the bass drum, hi hat, and floor tom to most of the kit.

Chemical Infatuation is the lead single and it is the best song on the record, but that is like choosing which corn fed turd is your favorite. Ok, that might be a bit too harsh, but the album isn't great.

Yes, the album The End of the Beginning continues with slow building song, upbeat chorus, whatever.It is all formulaic and I can see the band sitting in the studio with the formula crafting the songs. Head to the band's MySpace site and listen for the formula I just gave you. Starts out slow, switches to uptempo chorus, back to slow, up tempo chorus, b section that is slightly in between the slow and upbeat, and finish with chorus beat.

But the band has the perfect song for assholes like me, "What It's Like." A song about being put down and disrespected and the other person doesn't understand what it is like being them. The fact remains they are out touring and I am in Philadelphia writing. So I guess the joke is on me, right?

I listened to the album five times for the review, but by the eighth song I was tired and the first song is that instrumental bullshit. My ears were bleeding and I needed to put on some good music to wash out the hurt.

I don't generally like being overtly negative in a review because we respect hard working bands, but it's hard for me to say good things when there is a definite formula and it's so obviously used for EVERY song...even the slow ones.

I am going to say something positive about the band.They were rated number seven in the LAMusicBlog's top heavy metal albums of 2009. Sure the rest of the listed sucked ass (Marylin Manson's The High End of Low was three and that album blew more dicks than a Chinese hooker), but that is positive!

You can miss this album. If you are so inclined, you can head to Like A Storm's official site.