20 Foot Forehead: Let the Octopus…review

Coming out of Iowa and making it big can be difficult. It can be hard anywhere, but in Iowa, it’s harder- there’s just no attention on Iowa bands at all and, with the success of Slipknot and Stone Sour, a lot of bands try to be those bands or everyone expects them to be those bands. Every once in awhile, though, there’s a diamond in the rough- 20 Foot Forehead is more than that- they may be the best damn solid rock band coming out of southeast Iowa right now. With that Midwestern, blue collar rock and roll feel, 20 Foot Forehead tell it how it is and we can all love them for it. Their previous studio record, Static the Airwaves, was a solid start for the band and laid the foundations for what was to come. They shared the stage with some major names and grew a dedicated fan following and, four years later, it’s time for them to unleash their follow-up, Let the Octopus. Kicking it off with “Ker-Plow!,” a few things are obvious: 20 Foot Forehead have grown musically since Static the Airwaves; They’ve really matured and expanded here. With a sound and vocals similar to early Papa Roach or Saliva, it’s not long until you’re feeling it and ready to break stuff and mosh your brains out- seriously, give it maybe five seconds and you’ve already been won over. They keep it going with “Phobia,” “Upon the Burning of this House” and on through the rest of the album. 20 Foot Forehead are here to make a name for themselves and they’re not gonna stop until they’ve taken every fan hostage and made them theirs. Let the Octopus is what 20 Foot Forehead are all about. This album hits, it hits hard and you’ll wanna listen to it over and over again. In fact, you probably will. So just sit back, enjoy, and let the octopus do what it will- I did and I’m better for it. Rating: 9/10 -Reggie Edwards