Slightly off-'Colour'

Living Colour has always had the talent to back up the hype throughout their career ever since bursting onto the scene over 20 years ago as a genre-melding, barrier breaking funk metal band with hits like "Cult of Personality."

That fact, combined with the nearly six-year wait between their last album (2003's "Collideøscope") is probably why their latest effort, "The Chair in the Doorway," feels far too lacking for its own good. While there's a fair share of good songs, many of the songs themselves leave a lot to be desired over the album's 12 tracks (the final song, "Asshole," is unlisted), and not enough stand out as truly great.

Vocalist Corey Glover still has the pipes for metal and Vernon Reid proves throughout that album that he is still one of rock's greatest guitar players, capable of shredding a solo like no other. The drumming and basslines are tight throughout. Yet too many of the album's great moments remain just that - moments.

The title track, "The Chair," hits hard and heavy with its crunching, bottomed-out guitar line and Glover's snarls, but at just over two minutes long, is far too repetitive and ends well before it has any chance to get interesting. (Couldn't Reid have thrown in a solo somewhere to beef it up?) "Method" drips with foreboding, but suffers from the same problem "Chair" had by sticking within the box far too much.

The cheesy "Cha-Cha Slide"-esque dance calls on "Young Man" ("Step to the right / Two times / Move left / Spin") could have easily been discarded as they undo an otherwise enjoyable up-tempo headbanger where Glover's growls are more powerful than anywhere else on the record.

"That's What You Taught Me" comes across as forced, generic pop-rock and a bit out of place in comparison to the rest of the record. The approach works far better on "Behind the Sun," an uplifting tune with a catchy finger-tapping guitar line running throughout that sounds like classic Living Colour.

"Bless Those (Little Annie's Prayer)" stands apart from the rest, both in sound and song quality, as Reid deftly layers a twangy, southern-fried blues riff over a funky bassline from Doug Wimbish before segueing into two of the album's best guitar solos. Glover's vocals are particularly soulful on this one as he asks to bless "those that can go either way."

The guys in Living Colour haven't gone soft despite their advanced years. The album opener "Burned Bridges" is fast and fierce, while "DecaDance," "Out of My Mind" and "Hard Times" bring it hard and heavy, leaving no question about their ability to rock with the best metal has to offer. Overall, however, they might not be enough to cover up the album's lesser tracks, ultimately leaving fans wishing for more.

Check Out: "Bless Those (Little Annie's Prayer)," "DecaDance" and "Out of My Mind"