Filter's 1995 debut, Short Bus, broke through at the exact moment when
Nine Inch Nails-sound-alikes began dominating the modern rock charts.
Filter had more credit to their sound than any of their peers -- their leader,
Richard Patrick, had played in the touring incarnation of
NIN. Nevertheless, many critics had written the band off as a one-hit wonder, with the crossover single "Hey Man, Nice Shot" being their one shot at glory. Since it took them four years to deliver the follow-up, Title of Record, it could appear to the casual observer that the delay was proof positive that the band was a flash in the pan, but the album itself proves them wrong. If anything, it's a stronger album than its predecessor, with more sonic details and stronger songwriting. Title of Record is still firmly within the
industrial metal tradition -- parts of it sound like it could have been on Short Bus, actually -- but it's surprising how often
Patrick bends the rules. There are trippy, neo-psychedelic,
pop vocals that close "Captain Bligh," and even when the music rages (which it does throughout the record), there are subtle differences in tension and dynamics that keep it fresh and engaging throughout. It is true that
Filter sounds a little out of place within the modern rock world of 1999, where the aggro-metal is rooted in hip-hop, not
industrial, but that doesn't mean that Title of Record isn't a strong album on its own merits, according to the rules of its genre. [The German edition features bonus tracks.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
