Every so often, I get a promo in the mail that just makes me scratch my head. I mean, do labels inspect demographics and potential audiences before they send out promos for reviews? Given that I am sitting here reviewing the latest STRING CHEESE INCIDENT album “One Step Closer,” it looks like the answer is a flat and resounding “no.”

I could give this album a two word review that would be sufficient for scaring off most Metalheads: jam band. That wouldn’t really be fair. But what else is there to say? I could draw comparisons with the GRATEFUL DEAD and PHISH, but wouldn’t that be the same as just reiterating those two dirty words? I could try to describe the sound, but the best I could do is tell you that this sounds like a jam band…jamming. The only jam band I’m familiar with is Les Claypool’s FROG BRIGADE and I can you that, well, this doesn’t sound like that.

If you like the sounds of jam bands jamming, then maybe you’ll like this, maybe not. Yeah, I’m pretty useless. (Online January 19, 2006)