After the heartbreaking departure of Mike Portnoy from his long time band Dream Theater, I have been chomping at the bit to see what kind of project he would latch onto next (excluding of course the somewhat astounding, most certainly perplexing stint in Avenged Sevenfold). Given his status as a world-class drummer, having been the second youngest inductee into the Metal Drummer’s Hall of Fame, his options are pretty much limitless. So comes his post-Dream Theater debut Adrenaline Mob EP from metal super group Adrenaline Mob, a full throttle burst of progressive tinged heavy metal that while certainly not breaking any boundaries, stands as an effective introduction to the band.

The proceedings jump start with the largely by the numbers “Psychosane,” a groovy, accessible introduction to the group’s highly charged hard rock/heavy metal sound punctuated by bursts of technical progressive influences. The chorus is infectious, with the incomparable Russell Allen sounding as stellar as always, and guitarist lead Mike Orlando shows off his impressive chops with a killer solo towards the latter half. The follow up “Believe Me” really shows how each member’s influences shine through, with Stuck Mojo guitarist Rich Ward’s rhythm channeling his strong southern rock influences at times. Portnoy sounds in tip top form with some utterly gorgeous cymbal/ride work displaying a sense of energy he has lacked on recent DT releases. This also happens to be Allen’s best performance on the release.

“Hit the Wall” is the most progressive metal song on display, sounding at times like a mix of Dream Theater and Symphony X, with Ward’s distinctive rhythms providing a truly interesting tonal balance to Orlando’s more virtuoso playing style. There is a lot to like about this track, with blistering solos and some contrasting southern style breakdowns towards the end. “Down to the Floor” is definitely the heaviest, most stripped down song on the record, with Allen shouting in a gritty, alt-metal style, coupled with a fast paced, no frills rock and roll structure that makes the listener’s teeth grit, an adrenaline fueled number that will stand out in live appearances. The final track, a well-executed cover of “Mob Rules” by Dio-era Black Sabbath, is a fantastic closer. It’s highly kinetic nature lets the band really rock, and while certainly staying true to the original, Allen and Orlando really shine and make it their own, particularly Allen’s take on Dio’s legendary voice. An amusing little anecdote is Ward and bassist Paul Di Leo’s other band Fozzy covered this very song on their 2002 release Happenstance.

Production wise, this is a gritty, heavy, gut punching affair. While the mix lends itself well to the bands intended sound, the bass guitar is largely drowned out with some few and far between exceptions where no other instrument is playing, a problem rarely seen in this style of band. Definitely disappointing. Overall given the talent on display, this should be a better, more memorable release. With that said, Mob Rules is a band to watch out for, and hopefully their upcoming full length will bring to the forefront this band’s pretty much limitless potential. That would most certainly be a day of days.