Saliva - Every Six Seconds (2001)

On its major label debut, Every Six Seconds, Saliva gets a heavier sound and a way more polished production than the band's self-titled debut of four years earlier. The Memphis outfit has a better way with a melodic hook than some of its peers, which is fortunate, since singer Josey Scott's more frequent forays into rap-metal can sound a little forced. The production brings in a huge bottom sound absent from Saliva, as well as a few newfound electronic touches that hit upon the all-important Nine Inch Nails touchstone. So, Every Six Seconds is a pretty well-crafted alternative metal album overall. But, as with many other bands of its ilk, the elements that set Saliva apart from the rest of the alt-metal pack are really apparent only to the genre's hardcore faithful.