Review by JD on December 30, 2015.

Progressive rock/metal is a growing commodity. It’s pretty much that many of today’s listeners want more substance in their music than has been offered lately and I am one of those people. I love heavy music of many kinds, but I need something that challenges my intellect and explores music effortlessly, not simply beats you pretty much senseless (although I still love the ‘beating you senselessly’ thing quite a bit).

Coming from corporate world jobs (he worked for Google and others before layoffs) and decided to do some work as producer and movie soundtracks before finally releasing his own. Taking his love of the 70’s hard rock/progressive rock and early metal and his banks of synthesizers and guitars, basses… he combined it all into one to produce his opus New Metal From Old Boxes.

Sounding like 70’s heavier prog rock with early 80’s inspired metal all in an instrumental format, it lumbers along like a brontosaurus meandering with some sense of purpose. Songs like "Frankenstein On the Read Line" and the title track are interesting, but most of instrumental album goes nowhere with no direction in many parts, it turns into elevator music with an edge and you find yourself looking for another disk to put in. The man can play, but his writing abilities are far from interesting.

There are better instrumental albums out there leagues better than Mr. Rubenstein’s offering (better off getting Lawrence's Creation). Musicianship is top notch, but that is as far as it goes. Musicianship can never save a boring and uninspired album from being what it is and New Metal From Old Boxes is just plain boring and uninspired.

Rating: 5 out of 10