by Katherine Fulton

American Me pride themselves on playing what they describe as "an arsenal of loud, pissed, violent hardcore," and their debut album, Heat, shows that they aren't kidding. The bandmembers are merciless, not so much playing music as beating it out of their instruments. The group consists of former players for fellow Oregon bands It Prevails and Hatchet Diaries, and both have had an influence on the new outfit's sound (though the latter is more evident). There's also a strong undercurrent of death metal in American Me's sound, particularly in the rhythm section. Drummer Scotty Walker excels at metal flourishes and pounding, driving percussion that still manage to keep pace with the start-stop tempos that mark numbers like "Columbian Neck Tie" and "Said Nothing, Began Firing." Despite these inconsistent beats, Heat is an album that moves along at an unrelenting pace. All of the songs are intense; there's no chance for any sort of respite, though the beginning of "Said Nothing, Began Firing" and "Grace Period" hint at a slowdown before speeding up again. There's no teasing about American Me's attitude, though -- Heat is an album with a genuine aura of anger and menace, even though it's nearly impossible to make out the words. In fact, that's its greatest weakness. It may be easy to discern that American Me are angry, but it remains a mystery as to what they're angry about. The band is said to be inspired by a myriad of sources -- everything from social issues to the frustrations of daily life -- but Tony Mosh's roaring vocals make it almost absurdly difficult to distinguish a protest song from one about heartache, for example. It's a moderate complaint for some and an inconsequential one for others, but still a point worth mentioning. Heat is a powerful sonic onslaught, and it would be nice to know what the fuss is all about.