by Vincent JeffriesContaining some of the catchiest ?90s alt-rock imaginable, The R*tist 4*merly Known as Dangerous Toys will surprise listeners daring enough to pluck it from their local record store's used CD bin. By the time Dangerous Toys released this, their final studio recording on indie label DMZ Records, the novelty-metal glory days had long-since passed, leaving what amounts to the band's best work ignored. Diverse musical elements, suggesting Nine Inch Nails, Alice in Chains, Nirvana and David Bowie can be heard as Dangerous Toys blast through one expertly crafted song after another. While each of the record's 13 heavy alt-rock tracks have more than respectable hooks, the spacey "Transmission," and the equally moody "Cure the Sane" are The R*tist 4*merly Known as Dangerous Toys songwriting and textural standouts. The music world's ignorance of this record should serve as a cautionary tale to developing bands trying to gain attention by creating absurd mascots and attention-getting, but inanely clichéd songs like "Sportin' Wood" and "Teas'n Pleas'n" as these Texans did so regrettably on their self-titled debut. Such strategies may serve a short-term purpose, but the eventual payback is typically sure and permanent. Dangerous Toys acted the fool to get their 15 minutes of MTV glory (and inevitable pariah status,) leaving the band holding this modern rock gem just as they were tossed on the trash heap of Headbanger's Ball wash-outs.