Meztelen Ebéd (Naked Lunch in English) hails from Hungary. Starting out in 1997, this band has produced two other EPs before this third effort Fóld Kávéhaz (Café Earth in English) reached my desk. In some of their written material that accompanied the disc it is noted that "At live performances Meztelen Ebéd plays freely, in almost every song there are 'spaces' where these is a possibility to improvise." After hearing the album, I have no problem believing this.

Musically, they've got an excellent base to start from. Bass and guitar lines are crisp and clean and the sound overall has an solid upbeat feel to it. On first listen, I found similarities to Mind Over Four, Cynic and even Rush to a degree. This is not to say that Meztelen Ebéd is taking influence or style from these acts, but they seem to have that same clean, freshness to their sound. In fact, I really enjoy the direction they've taken with their song writing in almost all aspects, except for the vocals and their integration into the songs.

To be honest, I found the vocals somewhat dry and when they're present, the music seems to become a little plain to keep from outshining the vocal parts. This is not to say that the vocals are bad, it's just that in comparison to the instrumental parts, they feel as though they are lacking a little emotion. The instrumental Majomzombi is an excellent show of what the band can do when unfettered from the constrains of straight-forward lyric plotting. Also, the final track, Blade (Kid Lovemaker vs. Venus Domina Remix), shows a darker side to the band, introducing dub remixing of the intro and ending the album on a more laid-back casual note.

This six track EP has a firm quality to it that most bands take years to find. With some time under their belt and the good fortune of radio airplay, they should be able to entrench themselves into the modern rock crowd. Anyone who enjoys good rock music unspoiled by the clichés of modern radio and music video standards should look into this band. They show great promise.

For info on how to get a copy of this album, either contact them by mail - Gajdácsik Adrián, 1078 Budapest, Hernád u. 4. II/9. Hungary - or check out their websites - meztelenebed.fw.hu and www.tar.hu/meztelenebed. (Editor's note: As of the time of this review, both sites were under construction. Please check back later. This album is worth your time).

- - Kinderfeld