In the land of indie, ELEMENT57 is the modern rock band the great NW has been brewing since their inception in 2004. A 5-piece powerhouse that has been compared to the likes of Velvet Revolver & Audioslave. The band shows they are up to the task on their sophomore release, Ripcord. While one can immediately tell that the band’s sound is rooted in early ’90s rock, the songwriting, production and arrangements are clearly living in the here and now. Think Foo Fighters meet Peter Gabriel on steroids! Recorded with Sean Norton at his Portland, OR-based studio SNAP, Ripcord is one of those rare records filled with the perfect amount of duality. On the one hand, it is chalked full of modern rock radio-ready songs like "20 Minutes," and “Weather” and on the other, it maintains a darker, emotive demeanor. From the ever-climbing title track, “Ripcord” to the driving pulse of “Lifeline,” the band overflows with energy and still meticulously attends to melody and form.