The Black Maria is a new band comprised of former members of the outfit Zyon alongside ex-Grade leader Kyle Bishop, so it's no surprise that much of the band's 11-track debut sounds like a more emo version of Canada's most unsung rock heroes. Sprinkling in a bevy of emo's flavor-of-the-month sounds, like Brand New, Jimmy Eat World, and labelmates Taking Back Sunday, inside a slew of heartfelt lyrics, soaring melodies, and cascading guitar lines, Lead Us To Reason is nowhere near the level of Grade. Yet with help from Every Time I Die vocalist Keith Buckley on "Rats in the Prison" and hooks like the ones found on the contagious "The Distance From the Bottom" and "Sirens", The Black Maria is leading the listener down the right path to a more pristine version of a bastardized genre.

Mike SOS