displayed on Controversy is startling in both its tastefulness and its diversity. Vocalist Jeff Keith is a rare commodity in a metal band; he possesses the sort of soulful, sandpaper-on-silk voice that seems made for whatever he's singing at the moment, be it a ballad or an exercise in balls-to-the-wall grunge. Guitarists Tommy Skeoch and Frank Hannon (so opposite in their technical approach that their guitar technician dubbed them Mess n' Finesse) create an always interesting contrast, blending razor-sharp power chords with brilliant acoustic and slide work. The songs on Controversy run the gamut from breakneck speed metal ("Yesterdaze Gone") to slow, piano-tinged R&B ("Lazy Days, Crazy Nights"), and oddly, nothing seems contrived or out of place.

Controversy abounds with fast, rowdy rockers – like the irresistible reverb-fueled stomp "Be a Man" – but the album's high points invariably emerge during slower, more melodic numbers. On the eerily quiet "Love Song," Hannon explores classical-guitar territory with riveting aplomb; "The Way It Is," with haunting chords and soaring, intricately crafted guitar leads, has an almost Allmanesque feel. These songs aren't homogenized, hurriedly constructed power ballads. They were obviously written carefully and lovingly.

The Great Radio Controversy is a shining example of what can happen when a talented band puts on blinders, ignores what everybody else is selling and forges ahead on instinct. (RS 551)

KIM NEELY