Female-fronted aggro-metal seems to be in fashion thanks to bands like In This Moment and of course Lacuna Coil, and you can add Tennessee quintet Straight Line Stitch to the list. This group’s latest 10-track disc WHEN SKIES WASH ASHORE juxtaposes the differences between Staind, DevilDriver, and Killswitch Engage, melding melodic hooks with blistering metalcore beats for a commercially viable yet undeniably heavy sound that seems perfect for an Ozzfest headlining slot. The real equalizer here though is singer Alexis Brown, who, much like Lajon from Sevendust, gives this band the leeway to glide from bruising to beautiful with relative ease thanks to her tantalizing vocal range. While there seem to be a few cuts on the disc that seem a bit forced to be different, songs like “Seneca Tragedy” is full-on radio friendly metal and “Adult Cinema” can stand up on its own as a truly crushing amalgamation of nu-metal and metalcore. The off-road antics of Straight Line Stitch provide mixed results, yet when this band fires with all guns blazing on songs like “Taste of Ashes” and the tender acoustic track “Yesterday’s Gone,” Straight Line Stitch delivers their version of metal with a soulful force that demands attention. www.kochrecords.com –Mike SOS