Why do some bands insist on giving themselves such unfortunate names? This debut album by local rock/metal band Tinnitus won’t give you that particular hearing issue, but their well-worn brand of metal tunes won’t necessarily perk up your ears either. There are some great ideas and very catchy melodies in abundance here, but the tracks need longer playing times to develop and reel in their intended audiences. Original-sounding stuff like the middle eastern melody towards the end of the thrasher Cut Your Losses is there for all of 10 seconds and then gone – which is so unfortunate considering how damn good it sounds. If they were to buckle down and write some tunes longer than a butterfly’s attention span, they would really shine. Catch them Friday, Oct. 16 and Saturday, Oct. 17 at the Zoo.

Published in Volume 64, Number 7 of The Uniter (October 15, 2009)