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SECURITY Self-titled 40/40 Records The South Bay is churning out heavy rap-rock hybrids faster than you can say Insolence, and it's become impossible to greet them with anything more than ho-hum skepticism. But although SECURITY falls into this burgeoning genre, there's something different about the band. It's not just the harsh, abrupt vocals, the rumbling bass, the driving guitar or the precise drum work--it's that these guys know their instruments, work well together as musicians and have something to say. "Exercise" (which would be the perfect theme song for South Park's Eric Cartman and his bag o' cheesy poofs) finds vocalist Chris Seiss agonizing over cruel taunts ("Lose weight/You're too fat/You fat pig/Fatso"). Some of the other songs address school shootings ("Kip Kinkel") and temptations to the dark side ("667," on which Seiss instructs "rise up, one better than the beast"). SECURITY is at its best with testosterone rap over thick-sounding adrenaline metal; when it moves toward ghetto metal ("Violence"), it's not as appealing. Though "Process" may be considered single material, to me, the weighty guitars and stampeding drums make "Evil Monkey" one of the most exciting songs on the disc. Interesting sound bites interspersed between the eight tracks enhance the songs and, music aside, you've gotta give this band props for its inspired moniker. SECURITY plays June 25 at the Cactus Club in San Jose. (SQ) [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]