“The Clearance Aisle” is a column where a different album found in the $1.00 and up section of the local record store will be reviewed each Wednesday. The aim of the column is to bring albums that are quite literally unheard of to the light. Essentially, “The Clearance Aisle” is the return of strictly underground music to the underground section. In this article Saliva’s album Every Six Seconds found at Voorhees’s Tunes for $1 is reviewed.

7/10

Saliva is a nu, rap metal band from Memphis, Tennessee made up of members, Josey Scott as the vocalist, Wayne Swinny and Chris D’Abaldo on guitar, Dave Novotny on bass and Todd Poole on drums. Formed in 1996 and still making music today, they’ve undergone many member changes and a couple label changes as well. Every Six Seconds is the band’s second album and their first under the Def Jams, Island Records Label. The whole band played a part in the writing of this record, along with the help of music producer Bob Marlette.

This band’s combination of angsty hard rock and hip hop creates a unique sound that is very successful. Tracks like “Superstar” and “Greater Than/Less Than” have a very similar sound to that of Nickleback, while the track  “Click Click Boom” brings forth the hip hop influence that they have. Compared to other albums put out at this time, Every Six Seconds has a much better melodic hook than most, which, combined with Josey Scott’s bursts of rap-metal, gives the band a huge advantage. Melodically, the album has an angry feel to it, aside from “Greater Than/Less Than”, “Faultline”, “HollyWood” and “My Goodbyes” which all have a softer tone. All in all the album is very heavy, “Click Click Boom” is a mosh king’s dream with plenty of bass and fast drum beats.

Lyrically, this album plays to the ears of the apprehensive, lonely teens. Songs range from angry to the heartbreaking sorrow of “My Goodbyes”. Scott channels his pain into his lyrics “I feel like I wasted time when I didn’t have you on my mind/ I feel like I’m all alone, how could I have known you would leave me here alive.” The album does not follow a central theme like some albums do, however the mixture of anger and sorrow plays to this album’s advantage. “Superstar” does not follow the common emotions displayed in the other tracks, however “Cover me in greed, cause you planted the seed when you fed my ego/ Needless and disease for old invincible me like some kind of hero” is very convicting.

Although sometimes Scott’s rap-metal seems to be forced, the band as a whole makes up for it. Overall, Every Six Seconds is an impressive and admirable, blast of late ‘90s and early 2000s alternative music.