by Steve Huey

The Guano Apes' debut album, Proud Like a God, was originally released in their native Germany in 1997, and it made them a popular European concert draw with its punk- and alternative-flavored hard rock, establishing them enough for RCA to issue the album in the U.S. in 1999. It's somewhat derivative, but also effectively aggressive and intense, and that's what matters most with a record like this. The songwriting slips occasionally, but there are a number of strong moments as well, including thee album leadoff track and first single "Open Your Eyes."