Posted: January 25th, 2008
Contributed By: Nick

	Purchase @ Amazon.com Release Date: January 29th, 2008 via Silent Majority
	Course of Nature is: Mark Wilkerson (Vocals / Guitar) Sean Kipe (Guitar) Jackson Eppley (Bass) Shane Lenzen-O’Connell (Drums)

Overview: There’s this song performed by a certain American Idol vet, “It’s Not Over”, that did ok I guess on the charts within the past year. Modesty aside, the tune was an utter smash, and helped propel Chris Daughtry from Idol stalwart to pop icon; but who was the true mastermind that put most of this bad bitch together in the first place? Enter Mark Wilkerson, front-man of Alabama quartet Course of Nature, who, while writing for his future releases, unveiled the blueprints of “It’s Not Over”; Wilkerson’s belief in the song as a smash was, well, smashed, when he was told the song was not capable of scoring hit status when performed with his own band. While one critic ate his words and a certain Clarissa explained it all when she denounced Daughtry’s interpretation of the song as a “fairy love story”, Wilkerson was feverishly putting the touches on Course of Nature’s second album. The band’s debut ‘Superkala‘ was released in 2002 on Lava/Atlantic, and despite a solid amount of fanfare surrounding the album’s first single “Caught in the Sun”, the band was subsequently dropped. After more than five years absent from the music world, Wilkerson and crew are ready to return with ‘Damaged‘. Listen for first single “Anger Cage” on rock radio stations now.

The Good: ‘Damaged‘ picks up right where ‘Superkala‘ left off, offering listeners hulky portions of hook-laden modern rock with many a surprise thrown in. What makes ‘Damaged‘ different from ‘Superkala‘ is the obvious growth and maturity in songwriting shown between the two albums; as well, the amount of energy and spirit Course of Nature put into their latest outshines their previous effort without question. Starting with the hooky and free-flowing lead single “Anger Cage”, ‘Damaged‘ begins its ascension. “Right Before My Eyes” is a soaring anthem that packs a strong punch, thanks in large part to the undeniable sense of urgency and passion Course of Nature pump into this, as well as the album’s other nine tracks. The quick and snappy “Time is Slipping Away” keeps the flow of ‘Damaged‘ moving, and its proficiency in dynamics enables the ethereal and smooth “Memory of You” to have even more of an impact, not only dynamically but emotionally as well. ‘Damaged‘ will keep you on your toes, as the next cut in line, the swinging and pulsating “The Window” pays testament. “Live Again” is one of the disc’s heroic songs, combining a graceful duality of sullen verses to throbbing choruses, while Course of Nature explores its crossover hit potential with the angelic and passionate “Gone”. The final two romps of ‘Damaged‘ are two of its most esteemed, starting with “World at War”, a crunchy and driving tryst that ensures the listener will be captivated all the way to the finish line. “Forget Her” closes ‘Damaged‘, and its cathartic delivery and lyrics, combined with the album’s most epic and cherished choruses, completes the opus succinctly and leaves no question unanswered. ‘Damaged‘ has a sense of completeness that ‘Superkala‘ seemed to lack, tying all its loose ends together through solid song structuring and successful dalliances in each scope of the dynamic spectrum. Course of Nature’s trophy element that allows ‘Damaged‘ to linger in your senses is their ability to take a modern rock sound that often times causes songs to bleed together and lack differentiation, and give each track its own intrinsic identity.

The Bad: After a lengthy tenure of absence, ‘Damaged‘ is a more than sufficient enough to push Course of Nature back into relevancy, but with a lifespan of only ten songs, one may wonder just how much steam ‘Damaged‘ has in the tank before it loses its sting. The only real drawback I have noticed with Course of Nature’s latest is their newfound penchant for weaving their songs far more rigid and focused than with their previous material, making some of the material off ‘Damaged‘ sound a tad rehashed and diluted. Other than its unfortunately curt length and occasional cliche, ‘Damaged‘ is en fuego.

Bottomline: Course of Nature have returned with a bang in ‘Damaged‘, and despite the Tool-esque gap between their debut and sophomore releases, the band has shown being attentive to detail and pumping a plethora of heart and soul into their work are key factors in sharpening the already versed chops of Course of Nature. ‘Damaged‘ is flawless in its dynamics, grandiose in its harmonies, and diverse in its implementation of varying speeds, pitches, and momentum. If this album is a representation of Course of Nature in a “damaged” state, then I wouldn’t even dare them to try and capture their “repaired” state, as ‘Damaged‘ is a much needed release in the modern rock, geared toward radio world, setting the bar for acts of a similar ilk down the road. So who needs “It’s Not Over” when you’ve got copious amounts of standout material in ‘Damaged‘? Don’t ask Sabrina, er, Melissa Joan-Hart that question, but Course of Nature flash more than enough good graces on ‘Damaged‘ to make her forget all about it and resurrect Course of Nature as a force in modern rock.

Rating: 9 out of 10