OPERATOR DEBUT SINGLE FEATURING FORMER PUDDLE OF MUDD GUITARIST

Ex-Puddle of Mudd guitarist Paul James Phillips has teamed up with actor Johnny Strong on vocals to form a new rock band, Operator, who will release their debut album Soulcrusher July 3rd on Atlantic Records. Strong, with whom fans may be familiar from his roles in Black Hawk Down and The Fast and the Furious, has a soulful voice with grit, reminiscent of Chris Cornell (ex-Soundgarden, ex-Audioslave). Musically the band is a bit dirtier than anything Puddle of Mudd ever did, referencing the guitar-based grunge of Alice in Chains, and yes, Soundgarden too. Nevertheless this will probably appeal to the same active rock set that bought Puddle of Mudd CDs; fans of Breaking Benjamin, Seether, and Smile Empty Soul will eat this up. This is pretty straight forward modern hard rock; while not intellectually challenging or offering much that is new, those looking for a good headbang and a chorus to sing along to will no doubt enjoy it.

Listen to the title track from Soulcrusher here or on Operator’s MySpace page.

-VN