At the risk of offending everybody involved, even though I mean it as a good thing, there are times when I want to describe Clandestine as a cross between, say, Lacuna Coil, Flyleaf and Dream Theater(-lite), as fronted by Gwen Stefani (when she was awesome in No Doubt, not as a pop starlet in her solo career). That's not to say vocalist June Park always sounds like Stefani; just the inflection on some songs such as "Disappear in You" reminds me of her. There are some progressive tendencies on display and lots of exploration of textures driven by electronic sounds and synth keys. The title track starts off with a very moody atmosphere, and when the main verse kicks in the electronics add a sense of chaos to the guitars. Other places on the album have guitar riffs or fills that were (intentionally or not) probably lifted from the school of John Petrucci.

The album opener "Fearless" also has a long electronic-driven intro, setting this listener up for a massive headbanging groove of an intro. The verse of that song is otherwise driven by an interesting off-time riff, something that wouldn't be out of place in a math metal song if it were expanded upon. "Dissapear In You" shows off Park's scream as a counterpoint to some of the more haunting, melodic lines she turns out. "Disappear In You" also has a great catchy chorus that I found myself singing after not having heard the song for several days. Another highlight is "Philistine," again with a greatly hooky chorus and a rhythm section that takes no prisoners.

There are a few missteps on the album, such as the slower-but-not-quite-ballad "Pretend" which doesn't really do anything for me other than slow down the momentum halfway through the album. The vocals may not appeal to everybody, as Park's vocal range is often higher than other similar female-fronted bands and the mixing is a little hot. For the most part though The Invalid is a strong first step into the full-length arena by Clandestine, showing a knack for strong songwriting and a great mix of metal with more adventurous electronic sounds. Labels take note! Unless I'm mistaken, Clandestine are going places, with or without you.

This review was originally for the independent release of this album. It will receive a wide release on Feb 15, 2011