A few years ago, ManBREAK almost set my little world on fire. "Ready or Not" was a pop-metal anthem, and debut album "Come and See" offered more of the same hook-laden Rage Agaist the Machine impressions. A tour with Live and American radio attention promised huge things, but it wasn't to be.

Fast forward to 2001, and ManBREAK are back. But they are literally half the band that recorded "Ready or Not". The original line-up splintered in 1999 and, unfortunately, the departed half stole the hooks. On first listen, "Dark Age" is a meandering and bland track, with absolutely nothing to grab hold of. Further listens reveal the presence of a tune, but it's too little, too late, because the listener has already given up and turned to something catchier by now. "Dark Age" is a pleasant enough song, but it doesn't have the strength or the staying power to make a difference to anyone. And it's upstaged by both B-sides: the rap-tinged Honeycrack-isms of "Apathy" and the orchestra-led ballad "Crash".