Pleasure And The Greed, The

The Pleasure and the Greed never strays too far from the Toronto-based band's defiantly untrendy Led Zep-encrusted blueprint, but the disc does deliver a number of standout moments. "Everything Is Fine" is a pounding, snotty Alice in Chains-like dirge, and "All by Design" rocks with a soaring chorus and majestic lead-guitar line. The title track steals a page out of the Aerosmith songbook for a funky white-boy break, while the carefree acoustic groove, casual vocal, and ragtime piano of "Ease My Mind" offer a respite from the Charles Atlas guitars. Still, those looking for head-banging epiphanies need look no further than "Undersold," "Ladylike," "Mistake," or just about any one of this disc's other 13 foot-stompers. --Shawn Conner