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Great '80s metal armed itself with chunky guitars, pounding drums, and places them at the feet of an mighty metal howler. Such is Plane's strategy, with alt-metal spazz guitar riffs and loping bass tones underneath an impeccable metal voice, known only as "Wolf". Howl, howl.

Not unlike Tool's Maynard James Keenan, Wolf is a high-pitched tenor that wails melodically and lowers into into an emotional quietude for contrast. Around every turn of his verse lies a shitstorm of pummeling guitar riffs.

"War Like Plains" opens with a submerged, swirling guitar like and tribal drumming. "Never Again" has heavy, craggy riffing and wandering vocals, stretching out Wolf to extreme plasticity. There's a hint of Queensryche, but Ryche never had such a sludgy bottom end. The song gets close to the heavy metal fire without feathering its hair or winging solos all over the place. They are their own oxymoron - a heavy metal band with instrumental taste.

"Finally Free" evinces that "man, what a great vocalist" swooning as Wolf goes from a creepy Maynard moan to high-pitch-perfect screams tainted with a slight growl. "Blue Woman" is an unrestrained paean to heavy-metaller sex. That's orgasm spiked with heaven-hell imagery, as Wolf compares his lover to a "happy snake". The final ballad features Buckley-esque howling and falsettos, and if it weren't for the vanilla chorus, it would be the best song released from a local band in years.

Alt-metallers all gather 'round your new local pal. Like a heavyweight fighter, Plane draws you in with slow movements and then pummels you with a flurry of lefts, rights, and boast possible the best rock vocalist in San Diego.

- Troy Johnson