Originally published in Verbicide issue #4

The first song I ever heard by Grade was the made-for-MTV song “A Year in the Past (Forever in the Future),” off their Victory debut Under the Radar. Despite the success and attention this single brought them, I disliked it and pretty much wrote them off as another dime-a-dozen pop band. Was I ever wrong — Headfirst Straight To Hell transcends anything Grade has done in the past. It is heavy but not overly-intimidating, catchy and melodic but not obnoxious. This album is bound to have widespread appeal.

(Victory Records, 346 North Justine Street, Suite 504, Chicago, IL 60607)