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| Album Reviews; Everyone Loves Music, Right? | |
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| Topic Started: Mar 27 2011, 04:44 AM (11,684 Views) | |
| DucksFAN93 | Sep 30 2013, 05:14 PM Post #211 |
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The Sports Nut Member
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Busy week this week with exams but I will be doing reviews of A Skylit Drive's new record soon and then 8:18 byThe Devil Wears Prada. |
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| DucksFAN93 | Oct 17 2013, 01:32 AM Post #212 |
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The Sports Nut Member
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Artist: A Skylit Drive Album: Rise Released: September 24, 2013 Posted Image REVIEW: Rise, the bands fourth full length record, showcases an even more melodic and accessible approach by the typically conventional melodic post-hardcore outfit. This is no more evident than on the opening track "Save Me Tragedy", the screaming is absent save the emotional and climactic bridge where it finds screamer/bassist Brian White screaming "Don't lose faith / faith in me / save me from tragedy". The singing by Michael Jagmin is in a much more accessible octave this time around. Usually in an extremely high pitched, nasal whine, "Jag" scares off far too many listeners. This is not the case this time around as almost all of his (copious) amounts of line delivery are in a very ear pleasing tenor. Melodic was the approach from all fronts, from the riff work to the vocals to the grooves laid down by the bassist and drummer Cory LaQuay. Indeed, his drum fills have never sounded better("I, Enemy", "Shadows"), and his grooves are inescapably catchy ("Unbreakable", "Save Me Tragedy", "Pendulum"). After the halfway point in the record (The mellow, typical ballad "Just Stay") the album picks up on the aggression that the first half, for the most part, lacked. "Shadows" featuring the most aggressive melody on the record, and the deepest growls ("Beg / Beg for your life / Why don't you beg? / Beg for your life"). The album closes out on a poppy melodic number ("Dreaming In Blue") featuring the catchy "whoa's" one would expect. The writing is quite exceptional on the record, with tracks like "Wide Awake" and the title cut featuring exquisite melodies and extremely catchy riffs. Rise is an unapologetic melodic approach for post-hardcore. This is a very riff driven approach, as often-times the riff to a song got stuck in my head more than the vocal hook did; that is pretty impressive. The guys in ASD need to further develop this approach, as there is some pretty comfort zone territory here (Almost every song was melodic until the bridge where there was climactic screaming.) Other than that this is an extremely solid, accessible, and catchy outing by an already solid band..just don't expect to find anything groundbreaking. |
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| DucksFAN93 | Jan 10 2014, 05:38 AM Post #213 |
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The Sports Nut Member
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Artist: Escape The Fate Album: Dying Is Your Latest Fashion Released: October 3, 2006 Posted Image REVIEW: The debut record by Escape The Fate, and only album with founding member, and now current lead vocalist for Falling In Reverse, Ronnie Radke, features a very distinct sound. New Escape The Fate albums are post-hardcore arena rock, whereas Dying Is Your Latest Fashion features a much more experimental and aggressive sound. For the longest time, I honestly ignored this record. Being a fan of both Falling In Reverse and Escape The Fate, this is quite unusual. I like all of Radke's music, even his new rapping venture, yet I had not listened to the first piece of music he actually ever had released. So I finally listened to Dying Is Your Latest Fashion, and guess what...It could possibly be the best thing Ronnie ever did. Let me get this part out of the way since it is the only caveat to this delicious piece of post-hardcore: "The Day I Left The Womb" is quite possibly one of the worst songs I have heard from Radke, Escape The Fate, and from in any artist in general. The vocal delivery is unbelievably bad, albeit the lyrical content being honest and sincere. Nothing can save this acoustic atrocity, which is a pity, especially since the album closes with this song, as does it close the Escape The Fate chapter with Ronnie Radke at the helm. But what does it do right? Pretty much everything. "My Apocalypse" has such a memorable riff to open, as well does it have an amazing chorus mixing screams and cleans: "I walk with shadows / Hiding from the gallows / (they keep me safe and sound) / So I walk with shadows". The way the bridge connects with the guitar solo is excellent, and I can feel his pain when he screams "The pain / The pain / Pain / The Pain". He's a haunted man, and he conveys this amazingly. "There's No Sympathy For The Dead" is a masterpiece, and features everything from guitar solos, to breakdowns to a catchy hook. The layers in the death growls to finish the song are the highlight of the album. The lead guitar riff is extremely good, and lends well to the whole song. "The Guillotine" is one of their classics, and is one of my favorites. The last two minutes of the song are relatively generic compared to the rest of the album, and feature the albums harshest growls. The chorus is spectacular and features a combination of screams and cleans once again. The common factor here in these songs is that the structure is very creative and different than the rest of the genre; it is what separates this from everything else. Of course there is the heavy melodic side of Ronnie's version of ETF, and highlights for this is "Situations", "The Webs We Weave", and the wonderful "When I Go Out, I Want To Go Out On A Chariot Of Fire". "Situations" has an unbelievably catchy chorus, and really showcases Ronnie's cleans, while the last has the best melody on the album: "You're the only one that wore your seatbelt / You're the only one that died / So keep my casket closed / Your heart beats under the floor / It haunts me in my dreams / And nothing's as it seems". With the exception of the conclusion, this is Escape The Fate in its finest form. The lyrical thoughts are exceptional and require thought for most of the songs. The structure and composition is different, complex, and each member brought their game face on. "There's No Sympathy For The Dead" is one of the best songs I have heard, and is a must listen. Ronnie may have moved on to Falling In Reverse, and they are great as well, but this is probably his finest work, even if he doesn't like to think so. So it is a relative shame that he personally said there will never be another Dying Is Your Latest Fashion, because I, as well as countless fans would love another. |
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| DucksFAN93 | Mar 29 2014, 09:42 PM Post #214 |
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The Sports Nut Member
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Artist: Memphis May Fire Album: Unconditional Released: March 25, 2014 Posted Image REVIEW: There is no reason that anybody who says they love metalcore music shouldn't own this record. Memphis May Fire (MMF) have crafted an epic; an album that is as well written as it is well-performed. Very theatrical, the album almost sounds like a soundtrack, albeit a very heavy one. Rather than writing a sequel to their 2012 release, Challenger, MMF have written an entirely new style for them. Fans of the band will say, "Oh, this is definitely MMF, but it sounds a little different." Lyrically, the album is about the Unconditional love of Christ. At least 7 or 8 of the records songs are about how lead singer Matty Mullins was saved by grace, pulled from his depression, or lifted to his divine purpose. Honestly, it was very refreshing to hear the lyrical content to the record, and after hearing it I honestly felt inspired to better in my own life. Musically, where Challenger featured gruff screaming vocals for the most part, Unconditional shares a more even distribution of vocal delivery from Mullins. His screams are as brutal and easy flowing as ever, but the clean vocals are really brought up as more than just a "necessity"; they are actually vital to the sound this time. There are two completely slow, cleanly sung tracks here ("Speechless", "Need To Be") and they are amazing. Led by slow acoustic guitars and ambiance, Matty's voice pledges that every morning he wakes up next to his wife, he falls in love with her again. He also realizes that true love is shown when you are loved at your worst ("And I'm left speechless / because you love me at my worst..../ Today I woke up / falling in love again"). The other "ballad" is about how Mullins pledged his life to God and hopes that the kids and fans who look at him see God in him ("I wear my heart on my sleeve / for everyone to see / and I hope they see You when they look at me / Cuz you are everything / That I need to be"). Musically, it is a swirling acoustic number with plenty of string segments. The final chorus is moving and beautiful; this song is certainly a standout and one of my favorites. So where is the metal? Take your pick from the ferocious killer "Sleepless Nights", the devastating "Pharisees", or maybe the motivating track "The Rose". The guitar riffs are technical, creative and make you want to move, yet the screams and growls are as tempting as ever to make you want to beat a wall. The best track by far is the album closing epic, "Divinity". Led mostly by singing, the second verse has some of the best screams on the record. Around the two minute mark, the band slows it down for the most epic orchestral moment on the record; it is clear they saved best for last. The song is all about our divine purpose, what we are meant to be, and that we are loved and beautiful the way God made us, that we are all miracle stories. Great stuff. All I can say is you need to check out this record for yourself, or at least see "Divinity" and "Need To Be". MMF are amazing musicians, and also a standout is the drumming and bass, both are excellent. I love this record, and you really owe yourself to listen to this; whether you are a fan or not. You will certainly not regret it. I'm just gonna leave this here for you guys. [utube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnlJFxwG16g[/utube] |
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| Pwner | Apr 20 2014, 03:15 AM Post #215 |
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Jack of Some Trades
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Artist: Chance the Rapper Mixtape: Acid Rap Released: April 30th, 2013 Posted Image Chance the Rapper's latest mixtape is one that is pretty near and dear to my heart of late. Inspired by the Acid Jazz movement as well as the location of Chicago, Chance raps about life, smoking, family, acid, violence, nostalgia, drugs, and smoking. That isn't to say that there isn't any substance on this album, as there definitely is. Along with this, the production on this release is the smoothest and most listenable that I've heard in a long time. Horns, R&B backing vocals, and atmospheric sounds are layered throughout this release. While Chance's raspy and sometimes grating voice may deter some newcomers at first, it becomes clear that his style, flow and voice are perfect for this release, as if it was crafted around this aspect. Seeing as I like track by track reviews, I shall do just that. 1. Good Ass Intro (feat. Lili K., BJ the Chicago Kid, & Kiara Lanier)- Right off the bat we are exposed to Chance's unique style and rhythmic tendencies. I had never heard a beat like this before on a rap song, and although it may sound disjointed with the horns at first, it becomes more concrete in tandem with the great backing vocals by Lili K., BJ the Chicago Kid, and Kiara Lanier. As for the lyrics, Chance is just happy to be back in it again with this new tape after his previous tape, 10 Day. This is one of my favorite songs on this album and I still listen to it daily. - 9/10 2. Pusha Man (feat. Nate Fox & Lili K.)- While I like the idea behind this song and the verses and beat on it, I feel that it is a little too short to really amount to anything. It's a good song to relax to, but not something particularly thought provoking or special. Still pretty good, though. - 7/10 3. Paranoia - This is the hidden track after Pusha Man ends, which I feel is much better than its predecessor. In this song, Chance raps about the state of Chicago at the time and the large amount of violence in the city over a very spacey, atmospheric, and clunky beat. While I like spacey beats, I feel like lyrics with this much gravity deserve to be on a darker song as opposed to one that sounds like a daydream. Nevertheless, good track. - 8/10 4. Cocoa Butter Kisses (feat. Vic Mensa &Twista) - The fantastic single off of this mixtape, and the first song that I heard off of it. I have tried to think of critiques of this song, and I just can't. Chance's, Vic Mensa's, and Twista's verses are all rhythmically tight and on-point, and the theme of family and the regret of their disapproval is one that is very identifiable. This track has a fantastic production with the organ as well as a great hook, and objectively is probably the greatest song on the release. - 10/10 5. Juice - I really like this song. While Chance could have made the song about acid itself, he raps about his addiction, or as he calls it, "the curse of the juice." Had it been the other way around, I feel like the song would have thematically lost something. The sort of Hawaiian-fusion sounding hook was a weird choice for this track I think, but I like it nonetheless. I love chance's voice on the hook as well as the opening, and his overall enthusiasm on the track fits perfectly. - 9/10 6. Lost (feat. Noname Gypsy)- This more somber song is also one that I bump frequently. Rapping about love and rejection, Chance gets a little bit more sentimental on this track. While the hook is sort of short and the production is just ok, the real standout here is Noname Gypsy's verse, which is a great and heartfelt (albeit short) verse by a woman who has had her heart broken. The sentiment of this song is what makes me like it. - 7/10 7. Everybody's Something (feat. Saba & BJ the Chicago Kid)- While I'm not a huge fan of this song, I can't knock on the very happy and optimistic theme and message, which is sweetly delivered by BJ the Chicago Kid. No matter who you are, you can count on it that someone loves you, and that's just sweet. I'm just not a huge fan of the boom-bap beat on this track. - 6/10 8. Interlude (That's Love) - Although short, this song is very jocular and has aspects of old school soul and R&B with the layered vocals, as well as the topic of love. This isn't a sensual love, however, but more of a motherly, friendly love. Maybe a bit short to really go anywhere, but a decent track - 6/10 9. Favorite Song (feat. Childish Gambino) - Definitely my least favorite song. While it is a very accessible song, the lyrics have little meaning and the hook is very simplistic and forgettable. I dislike Childish Gambino as well, and he definitely does not do anything to persuade me otherwise on this track. - 4/10 10. NaNa (feat. Action Bronson) - I probably shouldn't like this track as much as I do. The beat is simplistic, and the lyrics, especially on Chance's part, are fairly meaningless. The hook can be annoying to some people (although not me personally), and it's just an OK song. But there's something about the inanity of this song that's so alluring. Hearing Action and Chance share "naaaa naaa naaaaaaa" near the end is funny, as is Action's entire verse ("With my hair slicked back, I look like Rick Pitino"). I just can't help but like this song. - 8/10 11. Smoke Again (feat. Ab-Soul) - Oh my God the bass on this song. It nearly blew out the subs in my car. I like Chance's inflection in his verses, and some of the lyrics are grin-inducing ("cops can eat a diiiiiiiiiiiiiick"). However, the hook is just ok and the song is fairly empty. Ab-Soul's verse is just horrible too, which really detracts from this song. Just decent overall. - 6/10 12. Acid Rain - This track is quickly growing into one of my favorites on this tape. I love his wordplay at the beginning, and as opposed to the darker lyrics of Paranoia, the nostalgic ones on this track are perfect for this spacey, great beat. His "hook" near the end is really good and well-done, too. This is the type of spacey song that I just can't get enough of and will eat up every time. - 9/10 13. Chain Smoker - Another one that is growing on me. I love the hook on this, as well as the dubbed vocals in the back of Chance's singing. I love the verses and the way that Chance raps on this one. I can't attest too much to the lyrics, but from a pure musical standpoint, this song is just great. - 9/10 14. Everything's Good (Good Ass Outro) - Yet another sentimental song, and a perfect way to end the album. I love the deep, unexpected inflection at the end of most of his lyrics on this song, and the beat is just great. The lyrics are fairly good, and the production on this track is just amazing. I thought the rehash instrumental thing at the end of this track was meh, but it has grown on me as well. This tape couldn't have ended better than with this song. - 10/10 Please consider that to me, 7-10/10 songs are the good ones on this release, and the ones that are the most worthwhile. I can't believe that it took me way longer than the release date to get this tape, because I was missing out big time. Although I rated some songs lowly, I still think that in the context of the album, they work great hand in hand with each other. Chance is a growing rapper and I cannot wait to see where he will go next with his career. Overall Score: 9/10 |
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| DucksFAN93 | Oct 17 2014, 04:47 AM Post #216 |
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The Sports Nut Member
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Artist: Florida Georgia Line Album: Anything Goes Released: October 14, 2014 Posted Image Florida Georgia Line Sophomore Album Reviewed Good Friends, Cold Beer, Good Times Anything goes. An aptly titled record for a country duo that is not afraid to create something different. Bro-country is becoming a thing, and love it or hate it, it doesn't like it is going anywhere soon. Florida Georgia Line have blurred several lines, including mash ups in hip hop with Nelly ("Cruise"), and covers of hard rock songs (Black Stone Cherry's "Stay"). This time, however, the duo sticks more to banjos and slide guitars for a 12 song collection with absolutely no frills. Producer Joey Moi's arrangements are once again the actual highlight of these otherwise generic country bobbers. What makes Florida Georgia Line stand out is the incredible hooks they come up with. Every song -- and I mean every song -- has an almost tangible hook that you just can't shake. Songs like "Confession", "Angel" (see oh-oh refrain), "Anything Goes", and "Smoke" are insatiable tracks you will repeat for weeks. As I mentioned, the arrangements are so stellar, and the production is so crystal clean the team must be applauded. Although the songs are all great (minus the annoying whistle tune of "Sun Daze"), the lyrical content can be summed up with three things. All of life's problems can be fixed with good friends, romance, and cold drinks. At least that is how FGL would convince you of, and trust me, after listening to this record you might be convinced. Overall, instead of going through every single track and talking about what made each one special, I would recommend just listening to it if you're interested. I'm taking a shorter more compact approach to these reviews. Since music is so subjective, I can talk till I'm blue in the face, but if this isn't your kind of music you are most likely not to even try it. So, here is my verdict: FGL have created an excellent and catchy sophomore record that is sure to top the charts. If hooky songs about romance, cold beer, and good friends sounds like a good time to you, then you can be sure that Anything Goes on this record. Highlights: "Angel", "Smoke", "Confession" |
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| DucksFAN93 | Nov 19 2014, 06:17 AM Post #217 |
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The Sports Nut Member
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Artist: Nickelback Album:No Fixed Address Released: November 17, 2014 Posted Image REVIEW: Nickelback is, well, back, for another 11-track outing of sex, drugs and rock n' roll. Oh, and don't forget that ever-so-gentle sprinkling of sugary pop-rock hits that has lifted them to platinum status on every single record since Silver Side Up. What's new about this collection? Well, actually a few things, for better or worse. Lets get the bad out of the way right now, and that is in one egregious offense: Track 10, "Got Me Runnin' Round" featuring Flo Rida. You read that correctly, Flo Rida in a Nickelback track. Good idea, right? Wrong. His verse kills whatever that song had going well for it, which, honestly, wasn't that much in the first place. The horn section is totally out of place, and the rapped section is the worst thing I have heard since I heard One Direction's new song. I'll give the guys some credit for actually trying some new things; other than that atrocity, there is some new ideas that actually work. The funky, dance rock beat of "She Keeps Me Up" is as catchy as it is fresh, and "Sister Sin" brings a completely different tune. Other than these three songs, however, what you get is pretty standard Nickelback. Three songs of absolutely dirty sounding guitar licks ("Million Miles An Hour", "Edge of a Revolution", "Get 'Em Up"), so dirty actually that you can see the dirt underneath the finger nails of Kroeger. Then three songs of sugary-pop rock tunes that are as sweet as your favorite candy ("Satellite", "Miss You", "What Are You Waiting For"). And then two powerish ballads in line with songs such as "Savin' Me", or "This Afternoon" from older records ("Make Me Believe Again", The Hammer's Coming Down"). As you can see, some thing simply don't change. The melodies are as slick and catchy as always, and the guitar rhythms never exceed head-nodding, but Kroeger growls and croons his way through these tracks as we have been accustomed to for over a decade. Love it or hate it, its all here in heaping helpings. Lyrically, it veers wildly from smart, such as describing an experience while high ("Take one of those and two of these/Watch the walls begin to breathe...Wings are grow out of me/ the floor is floating underneath") to disgusting referencing a woman's body to McDonalds (That one is courtesy of Flo Rida). Overall, you know what you are getting, so be prepared. At this point you already know the drill; 11 songs with the same kind of songwriting you've come to expect from a band that doesn't release one or two singles, but the entire record will eventually become a single. Whether you want to strap in for this ride is going to hinge on whether you liked their previous records. If you hated them before, then this album will do nothing to change your mind. If you liked Nickelback in the past, you'll love what they have for you here. Highlights: "Million Miles An Hour", "Satellite", "Miss You" Edited by DucksFAN93, Nov 19 2014, 06:18 AM.
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| DucksFAN93 | Feb 19 2015, 05:51 PM Post #218 |
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The Sports Nut Member
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Artist: Falling In Reverse Album: Just Like You Released: February 24, 2015 Posted Image REVIEW: It's finally here. Falling In Reverse's third record, and fourth album created by frontman Ronnie Radke. Let me just say that this is the single greatest record I have heard in this scene of music. It has everything you could want and then some. When I reviewed their sophomore album Fashionably Late back in 2013 I ended by wondering how Falling In Reverse would follow up. Their last record was incredibly schizophrenic. That doesn't mean that it was bad, in fact, it is one of my favorite albums to date. This record from the now 4 piece outfit is much more focused, leaving rapping to one song, and no dubstep, country, over sound effects on this album. This is straight up in your face metal, punk, and pop all squished into one 14 track album. The album starts with "Chemical Prisoner," which itself begins with a subdued guitar line accompanied by a small synth. It quickly grows into an electric, quick fire song about Ronnie's internal battles of resisting drugs. Oh, by the way, the chorus is the biggest one he's written to date. The guitar solo in the bridge is a technical achievement of mixing melody and proficiency. "It's so hard to be together / I try but it won't get better / I won't die here." The stand out vocals here in the chorus are enough to raise hairs on your neck. The next song, and lead single, is "God, If You Are Above..." and it is extremely catchy. This song reminds me of the oldest material from Ronnie. A quick thundershock of a solo finishes off the song. One of the more fun songs comes next, called "Sexy Drug." The song starts with a colossal riff. Electronic stuttering intros the pre-chorus where Ronnie playfully sings "Like OMG you make me come - come - complete." It is that kind of playfulness that I am glad that they keep in all of their albums. The guitar solo is quick, but is impactful leading into the next quick fire verse. It is in this song that we know just how diverse this album will be. "Na na na na, na na na na." The title track begins with this. Ronnie then sings, "I am aware that I am an asshole, but I really don't care about all that though / I got nothing to prove / But honestly I'm just like you." I LOVE this song. You simply have to listen to this song (I'll link it at the end of the review). The singing on this song is heavenly, and the lyrics are seriously self-aware. The lead guitar line is seriously catchy, you'll be singing this song all day. Trust me. The next song shows us another different side of Falling In Reverse. "The Guillotine IV (Final Chapter)" allows us our first exposure to Ronnie's unclean vocals. Screaming and growling his way through the verses and breakdown, he shows some range (that we didn't really see much of in the last record). It is hard not to feel the words when he screams, "My heart is on fire again." The guitar solo is quick but classy, and leads into a breakdown engineered specifically for the pit. This is the first "heavy" song on the album. "Stay Away" brings the post-hardcore side to front and center. The lyrics are aware of his inability to trust ("Who can I trust / I have lost my way again.") We have some screaming in the pre-chorus but mostly a cleanly sung song. The guitar solo is classy once again. I think they went for more melodic on this album's solos than they did on the shredfest of the last two albums. "Wait and See" is a phenomenal piece of work. This is the only track that has rapping on it, but it is very well done. The song is all about problems in the world, and it renders chills when Ronnie ends his raps and goes into his screaming. Oh, and the chorus. This chorus is simplymassive. This is another track I will link at the end of the review. This is a track I have to listen to over and over again. One of my personal favorites is next, called "The Bitter End." This is one of the heaviest songs on the album, it is just insane. Ronnie goes from piercing high screams to deep growls before singing sad lyrics that just show how good a writer he is (I set sail on a voyage unknown / Aboard a vessel that I call my soul / And I've been searching for what makes me whole / Sinking in the ocean on an empty boat") The screams are the highlight though, and the guitar solo is tasteful. After all the heaviness I enjoyed in the last couple tracks, FIR brings it down a notch with two softer songs (meaning no screaming). "My Heart's To Blame" has one of the catchier choruses and one of the most varied guitar solos, while "Get Me Out" sounds like a My Chemical Romance song on steroids. And the breakdown comes from absolutely nowhere, making it a surprise worth smiling over. The singing songs are better on this album, and the heavier songs are just ridiculous. After the poppy-pleasantness of the last two songs, we get what it is probably the heaviest song Ronnie as ever written. "Die For You" crushes you with heavy growling and downtrend guitar riffs. Then it gets heavier in the breakdown and never lets up. This is a song for the pits as well. Finally, the last song "Brother" is the saddest song I have heard from Ronnie. I wouldn't have expected the album to end on a piano and string led ballad about the loss of Ronnie's brother Anthony. It almost swelled me to shed a tear when he sang, "Your soul is free / I love you, Anthony." I can't imagine losing one of my brothers, so I really felt for him on this song. This is his most fragile vocal performance of his career. His typical elongated vocal style is subdued into a soft whisper style; almost as if he couldn't gather the strength to really extend his voice over the words. On the deluxe edition, we also get "My Apocalypse II" and "Pray." "My Apocalypse II" is a must have as Ronnie sings about his biggest fears. The song is a perfect mixture of all three of his past records. Beginning with a heavy riff layered by classy ice-cracking synth, Ronnie goes into one of the catchier songs he's written. Also, this song has one of the best solos by Jacky Vincent. "Pray" is officially the last song, and it is very pop punk. It ends with some whistles and a happy vibe, much better than how it would have ended with the last two songs. This is the record you simply have to hear. You can't pass on this album if you like music in this scene. Some of my friends who don't like this kind of music I got them to purchase it because they ended up liking it. It is faithful but accessible. I strongly recommend trying this. On a follow-up standpoint, I have no idea where they go from here. I don't know how Falling In Reverse can top this album. It is the most refined, focused, proficient record from the band yet. They always amaze me with what they come up with. As Ronnie says in "Get Me Out," he is the king of the music scene. Thank you Falling In Reverse for this new set of jams. Recommended: The ENTIRE album.....but for those wanting standout tracks: "Chemical Prisoner", "Just Like You", "The Bitter End", "Wait and See", "My Apocalypse II" "Just Like You" [utube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGLxRZDMz3k[/utube] "Wait and See" [utube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5FJjGZd9ts[/utube] |
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| DucksFAN93 | Aug 14 2015, 05:07 AM Post #219 |
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The Sports Nut Member
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Artist: Bullet For My Valentine Album: Venom Released: August 14, 2015 Posted Image REVIEW: Bullet For My Valentine return for a fifth time with an album that, honestly, has a lot to atone for. 2013's completely unacceptable album Temper Temper could have very well damaged their previously untouchable reputation. Not only was that record devoid of any emotion, it packed literally zero memorable moments, nothing new, nothing fresh, and some of the worst lyrics they have. Luckily, if you are a fan of Bullet, there is quite a lot to love about their fifth album. "V" starts the album, and honestly, is completely worthless. It lasts almost two minutes, but nothing happens besides the ambience except the intro to the first single, "No Way Out." This song is everything you could hope for from a Bullet song. Tuck screams the title to intro the song, and the verses feature completely screamed verses. Something we haven't heard since their second album Scream Aim Fire. The song is powerful, with the chorus ringing as one of the catchier ones on the album. A neat little guitar solo fits perfectly as the song concludes. "Army of Noise" is reminiscent of the thrash found of SAI, but seemingly with more energy. The guitar solo is a blast, and the quick breakdown is also completely welcome. The lyrics are simple but adequate. One of my favorite tracks is "Worthless," and for good reason. This is not a complex song, it is actually quite straightforward. The coolness of the song screams when the guitar chugs in the pre-chorus and Tuck sickly whispers "Look at me / Look at me." In the second pre-chorus, the whispers are layered with high screams, creating a demonic sounding vocal, all while the over-powering guitars back it. It is simply a highlight, the first of many on the album. "Broken" continues the trend, but the guitar solo is the highlight here, as it starts with some amazing tapping. The chorus is totally sing-along, ("Don't try to heal me when I'm broken / I need to hurt to feel anything"). There is a nice amount of screams to compliment the majority of singing vocals. The title cut is out of left field, featuring heavily distorted guitar taps, and a slower mid-tempo vibe. The chorus, I feel, is a holler back to "Tears Don't Fall," which may have been the intention. Either way, it is a weaker track on the album, but not skippable by any means. Luckily, the best track follows "Venom," and it is called "The Harder the Heart (The Harder It Breaks)." Not only does this track sound like it came right off their debut album, it has an amazing chorus and intro guitar riffing. I love the chorus melody ("No Looking back, no more regrets / One thing we learn from our mistakes / The harder the heart, the harder it breaks"). The song simultaneously is one of the heaviest and most melodic on the album. "Skin," "Pariah," and "Hell or High-water" all are some more of the thrashy songs, and they definitely are killer. "Skin" has one of the most memorable riffs, while "Hell or High-water" features a dastardly breakdown as well as a poppy chorus. On the Deluxe edition is "Playing God," and "Run For Your Life," and both of these tracks are some of the best. The former is a simpler Bullet song, but is so melodic it is replayable. "Run for Your Life" sounds like a early BFMV song in all the best ways. Overall, BFMV redeemed themselves on Venom. Not only is this album vastly superior to 2013's horrible effort, it is topping their early work in my opinion, and that is difficult to do. I highly recommend listening to this bad boy, if heavy metal stompers are your thing, you will find a lot to like here. |
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| DucksFAN93 | Dec 1 2015, 05:48 PM Post #220 |
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The Sports Nut Member
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Artist: Boys Like Girls Album: Love Drunk Released: September 7, 2009 Posted Image REVIEW: My teeth are still hurting post-listen of this album. The second effort from pop-punk band Boys Like Girls is so sugary sweet on the the pop spectrum that I can feel my teeth rotting as a type this; but I like it. Despite this effort being a drop of the pop-punk elements (for the most part) from their debut, it makes up for that by adding so many razor sharp hooks that it doesn't matter if they went poppy. The sonic pleasure is simply incredible, but anything but simple. The walls of sound (synthesizers, chunky guitar riffs, layers upon layers of vocals and effects, etc.) is overwhelming but adds just the right amount of uniqueness to have them stand out against their peers. This is power-pop at its sweetest. "Heart Heart Heartbreak" leads the record off with a bang, as every sound I just described above is in full force. The culmination of the song comes towards the end where the guitar solo takes a nice little turn before launching the final chorus with barbed hooks ("I'm ready for a heart, heart, heartbreak / I'm gonna turn around and walk away / Don't say you love me, don't even / Don't say you love me, you're leaving"). One of my personal favorite songs is the title track, "Love Drunk." This song is absolutely incredibly catchy. It is quite the toe tapper, and the vocal performance (while pitch corrected and layered to the maximum) is outstanding. Just try getting the chorus out of your head while it is put to that dance-rock rhythm ("I used to be love drunk / But now I'm hungover / I'll love you forever, but forever is over / We used to kiss all night now it's just a bar fight / Don't call me crying / Say hello to goodbye / 'Cause just one sip would make me sick"). Also, the key change at the final chorus is incredible. "Contagious" is another personal favorite; it is a more stripped down type of song. Much more likely to be a song that would be at home on their debut album. Again, the song is just unbelievably catchy, and that key change at the end of the song (again) proves to be manipulative of your emotions while listening. "The First One" slows down the record just a tad, while being a more straight-forward track. It is a somber track about, well, whatever the rest of the album is about, which is heartbreak (in case you haven't figured that out). The acoustic intro gives into the rhythm guitars while the vocals over-power everything ("The first one is the worst one / when it comes to a broken heart"). "Chemicals Collide" provides an absolute bang to lead into the final song. With just as much bombast as the opening two tracks, the sugar rock of this track over-powers the speakers, leaving listeners with the catchiest pop-rock possible. I wondered why this song was not the closer, but the next track "Go" provides that honor. It is a good song, but a tad overly long, clocking in at over 6 minutes. The final two minutes are an acoustic outro, which is beautifully done, but unnecessary. Of course you are going to have ballads, too, and those are somewhat hit and miss. While none of them are necessarily "bad," they are questionable. "Two Is Better Than One" puzzlingly features Taylor Swift, and while it isn't poor in sound or quality, I wonder why she is on the song. "Someone Like You" is decent as well, with a catchy chorus, but something about it just doesn't feel right. There are a few tracks that I didn't feel were up to the same quality of the other songs ("She's Got a Boyfriend," "Real Thing"), but even those are fine tracks with good parts as well. This album is derivative, unoriginal, glossy, over-produced, and formulaic.... but I can't help but like it anyway. The way that the songs are composed are just so cohesive and well done that it is a good listen, if you like this kind of music. I, personally, have been enjoying some pop-rock/emo/pop-punk music lately, so that goes into liking this, I suppose. But, I definitely recommend the record if you want to hear a train-wreck of sounds come together in a oddly pleasing way. ****/***** |
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| BigMac | Dec 29 2015, 10:39 PM Post #221 |
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Real Trill Shit
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I don't know if we're doing a thread this year so here's my top 25 albums of the year. I doubt anyone will read this, but if you do, uh, thanks: Spoiler: click to toggle
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| Romanticide | Dec 29 2015, 10:59 PM Post #222 |
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Cult Leader
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The thread got almost no replies last year, for whatever reasons. Might have been started too early, but I dunno, barring a massive release like a Kanye CD or Star Wars or whatever, most "best of" lists are decided well before the end of the year, so... *shrug* Also, personally, I'd have only had anime and vidya gaems lists. Dun watch much movies/TV, dun read comics, haven't cared much about music outside of anime/vidya in years, don't think I read enough books from any given year to make a good list, so... Yeah. Someone else can always make the thread, though. I mean, it's not like I have sole possession of the "thing". |
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| BigMac | Dec 29 2015, 11:16 PM Post #223 |
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Real Trill Shit
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Yeah I knew no one responded last year, so that's why I figured to post here. I just kinda like writing about stuff I enjoyed. I only had a list of albums, cause I didn't see enough movies or anything to make a good list on anything else. But yeah, I always wait to make my lists cause of late release, like D'Angelo last year, and so I have time to catch up. |
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| Pwner | Dec 30 2015, 04:22 PM Post #224 |
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Jack of Some Trades
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Yea, I still have some albums to listen to from 2015 before I decide my definitive top list. Post'll Prolly come after the year's end. |
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| kmr95 | Dec 30 2015, 11:08 PM Post #225 |
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No Flex Zone
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I was thinking of creating a thread but I got kinda busy and forgot lol. I could still do it if you guys want, but Mac did get a head start on me. I'll post my T25 list sometime soon. I've pretty much listened to all the records I've been meaning to listen to; all I'm doing now is re-listening to albums and organizing the list to the final cut. |
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