Local band Firecat advertises itself as a rock 'n roll trio with some other instruments and catchy vocals thrown into the mix. The combination is supposed to create a more interesting variation on the guitar-based rock formula. The ingredients are there for good music, and the band comes from the rich heritage of Boston-area rock. But the problem with Firecat is that they don't have the one essential quality which defines a good rock band--they don't rock.

Black on Black, their new Re-Entry Records release, is plagued by songs which are too slow and too soft. Instead of featuring pounding beats and passionate, driving guitar chords, the tracks on this album are dominated by vocals that are uninteresting and with lyrics which are average at best. The guitar, drums and bass are mixed low in favor of these vocals, which are often made worse by harmonizing more vocals over the original ones. Some tracks from Black on Black, like "Dangerous" and "Sweat," begin promisingly with good guitar intros, but ultimately deteriorate into the predictability and mediocrity of the rest of the album. C+