Fans of techno-metal poster children like Static-X and the Prodigy will get a solid kick out of Acumen Nation, a band who has actually been around in various guises since 1992. On The 5ifth Column the band flexes its hard-earned chops, delivering a dense and crunchy program of high-tech aggro-punk, complete with strategic screams, machine-like guitar power chords, and an occasional incursion of metallic funk. Sometimes they wear their influences right out on their sleeves, as on the blatantly Ministry-esque “Liquid Hater.” But elsewhere their sound is both original and filled with old-fashioned hooks — the charmingly titled ” C-Cection” is one example, as is the hip-hop-inflected “Margasuck.” The band peaks halfway through the album on the pounding “Demasculator,” which draws equally on vintage metal, 1990s techno, and speed rap, then delivers up a surprisingly gorgeous melody in the bridge. “Demasculator” acts as a nice distillation of all the best elements in Acumen Nation’s impressive stylistic blend. – Rick Anderson