The fundamental principle of the conservation of mass explains that mass can be neither created nor destroyed, only reconstituted. The birth of a child necessarily means that somewhere, someone's taking their last breath. So, does the absence of well timed, balanced, gut wrenching screams on Engine Down's new album mean that somewhere in a basement, some kid is overdoing it, blowing out his vocal cords in a feeble attempt at "expression?" This is perhaps the unfortunate consequence of Engine Down's musical development on To Bury Within the Sound some unknown band is destined to suck, and will inevitably record a crappy album that I'll probably get stuck reviewing.

I won't lie: I miss the screaming. Engine Down's last record, Under the Pretense of Present Tense, was testament to the fact that they were one of the few bands that knew the value of executing a properly placed eardrum piercer. Through their intense, dynamic songs, they demonstrated how Sunny Day Real Estate's style of writing could be so much more effective if it would only lose the controlled affectation.

Guitarist Jonathan Fuller and bassist Jason Wood used to wage holy wars against foul, sinning eardrums everywhere. Now, Wood, having grown old and grizzled, is content to look back on those louder, more reckless days as the folly of youth. Wood, once an untamed man beast, sounds for the first time like a Van Pelt-ish, talk singing Chris Leo not bad, but certainly no man beast. Nonetheless, in its screamlessness, To Bury Within the Sound is every bit as energized in its contemplation as Under the Pretense was in its rawness.

Whereas previously Engine Down employed loud/soft dynamics whenever possible, the new album reveals a band that opts for a more carefully meditated approach to their music. The angst that was so obvious before has been transformed into more inward, more melancholy, and at times more challenging music than anything the band has yet produced. But don't be misled these boys still have enough misguided aggression to make up for all the Gen X'ers who channeled their negative energies into such remarkable contributions to our socio-political culture as doodie.com.

The new Engine Down apparently likes Radiohead. Or maybe they just felt the sudden need to record a few slow, rainy day piano and cello dirges. At any rate, I'd typically say that this is extraordinarily dangerous territory for a band to leap into, 'cause there just ain't no way that anyone will ever touch the delicate intricacy of OK Computer. You don't even have to worship that album to realize how entirely unique it is in its combination of the atmosphere it establishes, its lyric genius, and its flow. So when guitarist Keeley Davis sits down at the keys for "Patent on the Better" and begins to croon like a Washington D.C. Thom Yorke, you've got to at least give him credit for having big hairy cajones.

And to be honest, the song ain't half bad. Filtering in on the heels of some "Karma Police" type background noise, the somber chords and vocals blend with cello and brushed drums to create an effective interlude between the rock before and the rock after. The song is the band's greatest departure here, and if nothing else, it's demonstrative of Engine Down's ever growing musical flexibility.

Thankfully, the greater contribution of Radiohead to the sound of Engine Down is not reflected in direct musical derivation, but more significantly in an expanded approach to songwriting. As the band has become more aware of the importance of how an album flows, they have concurrently paid increasing attention to the way production can be a crucial element in setting the tone. To Bury Within the Sound, recorded and produced under the watchful eye of J. Robbins, employs lots of nifty recording tricks to augment the songs' already solid foundations.

(I don't know the technical terms for them, so I'll just make them up.) They use the "muffled drum that sounds like it's coming from another room but then all of a sudden it's loud and clean and in yo' face" technique on the tension building opener, "Retread," which complements their ability to call forth chaos from the seemingly tranquil. They use that "end with feedback, start with feedback" technique to shift seamlessly from "Retread" to "Trial/Error." "Depth Perception," a seven minute push-and-pull of superb beauty, ends with a trance-inducing bass and drum groove that matches the backwards keyboard effects.

Luckily for their fans, Engine Down's new tendency to experiment with knob-twiddling does not come at all at the expense of their ability to craft knockout songs. Propelled by the feisty rhythmic attack of Cornbread, the band's secret weapon drummer and high energy snack. "Intent to Pacify" rolls along with enough spice for both Mel B. and Mel C. And on "In Favor," there's Cornbread again, laying down Damon Che-like beats behind the pulsing sound of Engine Down at its catchiest.

No, Engine Down is no longer content to play the screaming card. Yes, I miss the screaming. But only because I'm still a somewhat maladjusted 21-year-old. The truth of the matter is that the band has grown, becoming a smarter, deeper, and more diverse band by stepping away from what was once an inseparable part of their music. Even at their quietest, the Engine Down of To Bury Within the Sound still rocks harder than most could ever imagine.

-Andrew Goldman