by John D. LuerssenHater, the side project of former Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd and drummer Matt Cameron -- both went on to play with Pearl Jam -- first debuted in 1993. Twelve years later, The 2nd surfaced. Structured from demos recorded in 1995, the set rarely strays from the classic and hard rock models that propelled Pearl Jam into the stratosphere during the '90s. The spastic thump of "Downpour at Mt. Angel" -- sung by Devilhead's Brian Wood -- is one of several highlights. The unplugged vibe of "All Good" with Shepherd on vocals. and the blistering, axe-fed "Zombie Hand" are two more, although the vibe of the disc -- like many in the grunge movement of the time -- feels dated today. While the Mudhoney/Tad-like guitar rocker "Between Two Fires" comes off sounding a little too anonymous, the Jimi Hendrix-inspired "Uncontrolled" is easily the most redeeming moment on The 2nd.