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Fair To Midland
The Drawn and Quartered EP
Serjical Strike


System of a Down's brilliant and bizarre frontman Serj Tankian signed Texas' Fair to Midland to his own Serjical Strike label... Oh, and he produced this debut EP as well. What you'd expect is pretty much what you get: progressive, aggressive, quiet and loud, political and personal. FTM, like SOAD, appear to be a complex brew calling to mind not only System, but Pink Floyd, The Mars Volta, Dream Theater and Tool.

As a sneak peek of what's to come on their full-length (scheduled for sometime in 2007), The Drawn and Quartered EP gives a promising taste of primal prowess. Two studio tracks, two live cuts and a video are all that's offered, but it's enough to whet the appetite for any prog-metal fan who's already used and abused their Coheed albums.

The short disc's standout is "Kyla Cries Cologne." It's got chugging guitars, soft piano breaks, heavy beats and a vocal display by Darroh Sudderth that puts his pipes in a category all their own.

Fair to Midland: www.fairtomidland.com