North Carolinas The Manhattan Project started off as a high school experiment and by the looks of things, the teacher better damn well have given them an A.

The anticipation for the band's new album, The Sounds of Vindication started after I became hooked on the song 72 inches. The anticipation only grew due to numerous production delays. The album finally hits stores today and despite high expectations the result is another successful experiment.

There are several tracks that have been re-recorded including the track Tomorrow from the No Heroes EP (which has been renamed to Tomorrow Smells Like Novocaine) Also the demos Liason and 72 Inches received upgrades. The end result is actually a vast improvement while still maintaining the original feel of the songs. This is a rare achievement that the songs have actually been improved instead of ruined like failed attempts of numerous other bands. My favorite remix and also favorite song on the album is Tomorrow Smells Like Novocaine which has been transformed into a hardcore classic.

The Sounds Of Vindication was Produced, Edited, and Mixed at The Basement Studios by Jamie King. Jamie King really shines yet again and manages to tap into the band's vast potential.

The album starts out with a bang on the brutal Surely She's a Pyro which features plenty of guitar hooks and breakdowns. You can really hear the progression the band have made in all categories, as the songs sound richer and more mature. While this maturity may be passed off as "copycat hardcore", it will be appreciated by long time fans. On the reworked tracks Liason and 72 Inches, Rick Jacobs' vocals have gotten throatier and fiercer while the guitar work has gotten thicker and meatier. The percussion was already impressive and inventive on the previous demos, but has also improved greatly. Bleach My Eyes Blue is an interesting interlude song, but really is nothing more than that. The Devil Can't Two Step Like I Can has some interesting traditional metal guitar work that mixes things up shows the band exploring different influences. 20901 showcases the melodic hardcore side of the band but the song ends sounding kind of generic.

The last track, Staring At The Sun is a fitting end to a solid record that was definitely worth the long wait and delays. Even though some of the best songs are from previous releases, and the album features a mostly generic hardcore sound, the new material proves that The Manhattan Project can now stand among the big boys in the hardcore scene.