On his website, Lunchbox Records owner Scott Wishart writes, “Charlotte seems to have a bad reputation based on all of the metalcore that’s spawned from here.” This isn’t a dismissal of the city’s scene — just an unpleasant truth. Far too often killer bands are eclipsed by the crass and mediocre, and grassroots events are obscured by inane commercialism.

Adding to the problem is A Hero A Fake’s new music video for “Dead and Done.” So far it’s garnered more than 90,000 YouTube views — an achievement that owes more to its chintzy visuals than artistic merit. In the video, a half-naked woman seeks romantic fulfillment by “slicing and dicing up the men of AHAF.” Considering that the band’s fan-base largely consists of impressionable teenagers, the “18 and above” disclaimer is self-defeating.

Unfortunately, the group’s new LP — The Future Again — isn’t any better. At less than 28 minutes it’s weaker than their previous album, and hampered by half-baked ideas and derivative song structures. Metalcore’s never been a bastion of innovation, but A Hero A Fake’s latest offerings are weak even by genre standards. — Sam Baltes