Blood + Bones (The Process, 2002)

I stared at this CD several times before opening it; all I could think was...well,  you look at the photo of the band and tell me if you think this is a reggae group:

Reggae or not, they're just creepy.  Mounting the courage to listened to Blood + Bones, I discovered that the Michigan band's sound is a mix of hard rock and reggae that they term, oddly enough, "rock reggae."  Now, this isn't generally a style of music to which I gravitate (so feel free to take this review with a grain of salt -- or an entire shaker), but once you get past the Process's appearance, I'd say that they compare with pioneers of this sound like Bad Brains or 24/7 Spyz (my knowledge of whom is admittedly limited).  Like those earlier bands, the frenetic rock 'n roll side tends to dominate the laid-back reggae side, which may drive reggae purists away to the hills.  The Process's rock side, which accounts for about 70% of the album's sound, has a freewheeling '80s vibe with more pop inclinations that the more punky Bad Brains.  Lead singer David Asher has a booming voice somewhat reminiscent of Eddy Grant, and he leans toward big, soaring melodies and lyrics that echo typical roots reggae acts -- oppression, resistance, social iniquity, spirituality (incorporating elements of Rastafarianism) -- even if the music does not.  Several of the tracks, in fact, are straight rock 'n roll, while another, the Club Mix of "Rising Up," is a regrettable house/dance number that doesn't gel with the other material.  Of the remaining cuts, only their rendition of the Wailers' "Get Up Stand Up" (a song that needs another remake like Michael Jackson needs another nose job) is straight reggae.  The others incorporate elements of both rock and reggae, occasionally quite well -- as on "Run Them Down" and "Spend the Money," which show the power with which the Process can fuse American and Jamaican sounds.  Speaking as a biased reggae fan, however, the further they lean towards reggae, the better.  The rock reggae hybrids can be enjoyable, but the straightforward rock jams are distracting and just don't cut it as reggae, so it's hard for me to really get into anything else here.