California's Jacobs Ladder has released their debut CD, Hostile Environment, which features an interesting blend of six hard rock instrumentals (with some blistering solo passages) and two sensitive and heartfelt acoustic numbers. Jacobs Ladder is a three piece outfit, featuring Randy Jacobs on guitar, John Vaca on bass, and Henry Higgs on drums, so in addition to the mind-blowing axework, you'll find a heavy duty low end throb and pounding, crashing drums which fill the sonic space quite nicely. Don't let Hostile Environment's soft opening track "A Kiss Before Dying" lull you into a false sense of submission - this band is capable of some real metallic mayhem - and they bring out the jackhammers for the four tracks that follow. "Lost" serves as an acoustic interlude, while the band's twelve minute opus "Random Acts Of Violence" rips it into high gear. The closer, "F-16", delievers the proper shredded aggression to finish the CD out on a high note. Instrumental Guitar (Electric (Heavy)/Shred/Progressive), total running time, 52:32