A tentatively named series branching off from Jewelcase Treasures. In this, I review several albums by an artist, in choronological order, in quick succession. Each song will usually get its highlight, but in one sentence, and sometimes multiple songs will be clumped together for brevity.
In this installment, we feature the works of Samael, a Swiss band that plays what's best described as symphonic industrial black metal. While black metal is usually known for extreme vocalization, punishing drum- and guitar-lines, and an overall melodramatic, dark, or even evil tone, Samael basically keeps the black metal influence to the vocals of Michael Locher (a.k.a. Vorphalack) and their stage names, and substitutes in elements of the industrial genre, allowing for a more flowing sound that drives influence from the electronic scene. The other members, known by their nicknames, are Makro on guitar, flanked by Vorph; Xytraguptor on keyboards, samples, and programmed drums (he does live drums as well); and Masmiseim on bass guitar.
And so we begin, with three pickings from Samael's discography: Eternal, Solar Soul, and Lux Mundi.
Album One: Eternal (1999)
And what better way to start off this album than with an anthem piece: whence cometh Year Zero, the intro track to this album (and oddly positive in tone for black metal), and one of my favorites. Ailleurs continues its fast march, and allows for Vorph to change up his vocal style from time to time. We slow the pace in Together; and while it's not a bad song, they seemed to tone it down (and slow it down) just a bit too much, letting the electronics have a bit too much pull. Ways is a bit back-to-form; while it's not very fast, it's for the better; it's got a kicking rhythm that services the vocalist and the rest of the sound well.
Almost a mix of Ways of Together comes with The Cross, though it does have some great guitar work. The beginning of Us is quite awesome, but the rest of the song isn't much to talk about. Supra Karma adds an odd rhythm in the background, the instrument of which I can't place. I, Nautilus & Zeppelin, and Infra Galaxia follow, but none of the three are that spectacular. Being changes up the syncopation, and is a lot more rock-oriented than its brethren before it, especially in the intro. Finally, we have Radiant Star, a song with a rather off-putting intro and not too much substance to follow.
Album Two: Solar Soul (2007)
The titular song is the first track, and already we've noticed what 8 years of evolution have brought us; both a polished form in the electronic department, and more guitar influence. Vorph himself is also a bit more pronounced. Promised Land is good, but nothing special... however, it does lead us into Slavocracy, an absolute crusher of a song that really drives the album at the exact moment needed. Western Ground starts off with a rather starkly simple intro, leading into a decent melody that has to wait until Vorph steps in to really get going - it's still pretty good, though. On The Rise and Alliance are both quick-paced songs, and while a bit average, aren't bad in the slightest - the chorus to On The Rise is pretty awesome.
Suspended Time is more take-charge, echoing Slavocracy a bit more so than the others, and overall is a rather nice song. Valkyrie's New Ride is, as was "Being" in Eternal, mixes in rock elements more so than the others. Ave! highlights the keyboard talents of Xytraguptor, though the other parts are average at best. Quasar Waves is an odd little number, mixing in Middle Eastern instruments, and has Vorph sing deeper than normal. Architect and Olympus end the album, Architect bringing in more of an impact than Olympus, which isn't too impressive.
Album Three: Lux Mundi (2011)
Our opening track is Luxferre, a grandiose synth-and-drum intro following into a deep and driving guitar and vocal part - and what a start. Already we're combining Solar Soul with a lot more metal elements, letting the electronics take the background, and to be quite honest it sounds excellent. Let My People Be! and Of War continue this, adding a touch more synth, and Vorph is starting to take an angrier tone in his vocals, especially in Of War, which is a bit of a mark above Solar Soul in aggression, and sounds closer to black metal than any of the two previous entries in this article. Antigod echoes Luxferre more so than the other two songs, keeping it grandiose instead of crushing. For A Thousand Years goes back into the driving synth and guitar that Let My People Be! had, but takes a slight step back in aggression.
The Shadow of the Sword changes it up a little bit by speeding up the tempo and bringing some higher pitched instrumentals into the mix, and also having a much more modular rhythm. In The Deep is a love-letter to the guitars, especially in the beginning riff, and brings us the chant of "Call me / Samael!!!"... the quissessential anthem piece, and probably the best song on this album. Mother Night spares us from several tracks of aggression to slow the tempo down and reduce the rhythm complexity, to coalesce into a much more epic piece. Pagan Trance isn't actually that much of a trance - while it's definitely a bit more muted and smooth rhythm-wise, it's not really that soft a song. In Gold We Trust gives us a bass- and drum-heavy intro that almost apes Slavocracy from Solar Soul (if you removed the high-pitch synth). Soul Invictus is more of a doom-metal song in its rhythm, and is very heavy in its synth. And finally, if ever you wanted to be reminded that these guys were black metal, The Truth Is Marching On is it: the drums go at Mach 2, while the guitars just barely keep up. While this doesn't occur throughout the whole song, it's a prevalent part of it.
Final Ratings:
Eternal: 6.5 / 10. It's a solid record that presents the electronic stylization of black metal, though a few of the tracks never really rise above average.
Solar Soul: 7.5 / 10. A marked improvement over Eternal, it's a bit more repetitive than the previous but has stronger tracks within the mix.
Lux Mundi: 9 / 10. While much more repetitive than Solar Soul, what Samael repeats in its elements is, quite honestly, some very high-quality industrial black metal. Even as just a black metal album, it's a better album than their previous album Above, which while extraordinarily heavy had many production problems.
Oh. A little taste of what you're getting into:
Monday, May 16, 2011
Jewelcase Treasures: Album Review of Three Days Grace - Life Starts Now
Even though this is a tad early (Monday instead of Tuesday), I always posted my reviews at the very early morning hours, anyway.
This review is of an album I've never listened to before, sans one song - the last four I've done are albums I've at least listened to once, if not multiple times. I'm not unfamiliar with the band, however, so I'm not going into this too cold. This should be at least a little interesting.
Let's begin! An album review of Three Days Grace's latest album (from 2009): Life Starts Now.
In case you don't know who these fine gentlemen are:
I'll be honest here; I used to like these guys, but as time wore on my opinion of them has dipped further and further. We'll see if that changes with their newest attempt...
The beginning of this song shows some promise; however, Adam Gontier seems to have lost some bite. His voice seems a bit weaker on the high notes than it used to. The lyrics, even disregarding the fact, are unfortunately a carbon-copy of many other songs similar to this - shallow and angst-ridden. The guitars do their job - the rhythm is actually rather neat - but the rest of the song feels so blasé.
2) Break
This is the song that I listened to before any on this record; and to some extent it still holds a lot of the strength I felt it had back then. The rhythm is rather good, and the bridge is actually quite epic, all things considered. The lyrics are a tad improved from Bitter Taste, but it's still nothing special. It's not Scared (my favorite song by the guys, from their debut album) but it's at least serviceable.
3) World So Cold
The chorus is ... OK. Yea. That's about it. The bridge is boring and the lyrics are angst-ridden – unfortunately not a new concept with Three Days Grace. This is bland-rock at its finest, and the worst part is that we're going to start establishing a rather tired pattern.
4) Lost In You
At least this song's intro sounds a tad different. But fuck me if I can tell you what song this is apart from the others once this album's done. It sounds so much like World So Cold and Bitter Taste; Break, which funnily enough was one of the singles from this album, at least had the awesome chugging rhythm that made it stand out. I know there are people that like this kind of rock, but it's the absolute definition of radio-rock - it just carries no weight. And I'm not trying to sound like a snob here; it truly carries no weight. It sounds "nice", and then it disappears, and you feel no different than before.
5) The Good Life
Huh; this sounds kinda promising. Oh, but here comes Adam to tell us how down-in-the-dirt he is. He wants "the good life" - you're in a successful band spanning almost twenty years; your albums have gone at least gold; you're fine, bud. I will admit though, it's a little catchy, almost funky. Reminds me rather positively of Break...
...until 2:15. And 2:45. Never do that again.
6) No More
I'm starting to notice something: every song on here, save for World So Cold, starts with a rather nice rhythm, but once Adam comes in, we revert back to "the norm". Speaking of Adam: will you cut it out?! The age of the anthem for the downtrodden is over - once you hear hundreds upon hundreds of songs like this, even the worst in-the-dumps teenagers start turning to other outlets for their catharsis. And the worst part is that I'm sure we're going to repeat this pattern down the road; every song will have Adam weeping his eyes all over the lyric sheet as his band-mates try in vain to make a rhythm to match his lunacy. I don't even hate the guy - he just bores me.
7) Last to Know
A piano. That's different. Oh, and Neil Sanderson joins in the fun. Adam also decides to show some pipes, proving that when he doesn't do the forced style he employs in other songs, he can actually be a convincing singer. For this album, it's an above-average song; while the lyrics are nothing special, removing the emphasis from the guitars allows the others to shine for a bit.
8) Someone Who Cares
For fifteen seconds, we have to endure a rather sharp siren sound coming from the guitarists as the dissonant chords just bounce and reverberate all over the place. More of the genius writing commences: "Like a dark cloud that chases you down"... "It's so hard to find someone who cares about you"... "but it's easy enough to find someone who looks down on you"... sweet mother of pearl, Adam, cheer the hell up!
What mystifies me is that the chorus, even though the lyrics are more of the same, is actually rather listenable - the key and the rhythm work in tandem to create a moving piece that help carry the song's weight. The bridge even peeks its head and gives us something to work with. But then the key changes, and the song just falls apart right then and there. Oh, and we get our intro back for the outro. Lovely. Yeesh.
9) Bully
Oh no, let me take a wild guess. Yep: after some schoolkid chanting to begin the song, we get to hear the story of kids too fed up with bullies in their school, and goddammit, they're gonna take a stand... somehow.
Also, this little piece of writing: "Blame the family / blame the bully / blame it on me"... whah? Blame you? What stake did you have in the affair? And how are they gonna take a stand? Well, that's never answered. Whatever.
EDIT: After further listening, the conclusion was brought up that this was not just about bullying; the two kids mentioned in the story were victims of suicide, because of their family, the bullies... and apparently Adam Goutier himself (re-read the stanza). Lovely. Just what we needed after several songs like these.
10) Without You
As far as I can tell, this song isn't in a 4/4 time signature... at least for the pre-chorus. And the key is at least a bit different. But seriously, what do you say about a song that says the same thing as seven of the previous songs on this album? "I'm nothing at all"... we get it. Seriously. We, get, it.
11) Goin' Down
You know, with a different set of lyrics, this song could actually be salvaged. I'm actually loving this rhythm, but the lyrics do absolutely nothing, especially when most of it is repeating "down, down, down", or rhyming "down" with something. It's finally time for them to get angry - rawr! - but all it does is remind me of Drowning Pool's Bodies. And oh wow, that bridge does not help: we went through this in The Good Life, Adam. Do not digitally enhance your voice. For the love of all things sacred.
12) Life Starts Now
The titular track, and after eleven tracks of being weepy, sad, and angst-ridden, we get our positive track. I'm sure this is part of a formula, whereby you fill an album with your admittance of depression and on-the-brink feelings, and then when you and your listener connect, you pull them out of their hole with words of encouragement. Noble, I suppose; but for a casual listener, this song won't sound encouraging so much as borderline saccharine. If that's your point of interest, to appeal to the downtrodden, then I guess it works, but at barely over 3 minutes it fails to leave much of an impression in any case.
God help me if I'm ever able to argue against that logic after listening to this album. Even after a thorough run-through of this album, the only song that still sticks in my head is Break, and probably because I've heard it so many times. The other eleven tracks do absolutely nothing on this album, save maybe for Last to Know, and only because it's not emo-ridden cookie-cutter alt-metal-rock-punk-whatever-ness. And believe me, I've tried to avoid the word "emo" in this review; I'm not much of a fan of the word, but how else do you describe this? At least it's not unholy garbage...
RATING: [ 3.5 / 10 ]
This review is of an album I've never listened to before, sans one song - the last four I've done are albums I've at least listened to once, if not multiple times. I'm not unfamiliar with the band, however, so I'm not going into this too cold. This should be at least a little interesting.
Let's begin! An album review of Three Days Grace's latest album (from 2009): Life Starts Now.
In case you don't know who these fine gentlemen are:
On The Cover: Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace is a band based in Canada, drawing similar inspiration from bands like Breaking Benjamin and Skillet. Approaching their twentieth year as a band, the first five as Groundswell, they consist of Adam Gontier on guitar and vocals; Neil Sanderson on drums and backup vocals; Barry Stock on lead guitar; and Brad Walst on bass. They toe the lines of grunge, rock, and metal, creating a familiar, radio-friendly, yet heavy-toned sound that appeal to many.
I'll be honest here; I used to like these guys, but as time wore on my opinion of them has dipped further and further. We'll see if that changes with their newest attempt...
Inside the Case: Track List
1) Bitter TasteThe beginning of this song shows some promise; however, Adam Gontier seems to have lost some bite. His voice seems a bit weaker on the high notes than it used to. The lyrics, even disregarding the fact, are unfortunately a carbon-copy of many other songs similar to this - shallow and angst-ridden. The guitars do their job - the rhythm is actually rather neat - but the rest of the song feels so blasé.
2) Break
This is the song that I listened to before any on this record; and to some extent it still holds a lot of the strength I felt it had back then. The rhythm is rather good, and the bridge is actually quite epic, all things considered. The lyrics are a tad improved from Bitter Taste, but it's still nothing special. It's not Scared (my favorite song by the guys, from their debut album) but it's at least serviceable.
3) World So Cold
The chorus is ... OK. Yea. That's about it. The bridge is boring and the lyrics are angst-ridden – unfortunately not a new concept with Three Days Grace. This is bland-rock at its finest, and the worst part is that we're going to start establishing a rather tired pattern.
4) Lost In You
At least this song's intro sounds a tad different. But fuck me if I can tell you what song this is apart from the others once this album's done. It sounds so much like World So Cold and Bitter Taste; Break, which funnily enough was one of the singles from this album, at least had the awesome chugging rhythm that made it stand out. I know there are people that like this kind of rock, but it's the absolute definition of radio-rock - it just carries no weight. And I'm not trying to sound like a snob here; it truly carries no weight. It sounds "nice", and then it disappears, and you feel no different than before.
5) The Good Life
Huh; this sounds kinda promising. Oh, but here comes Adam to tell us how down-in-the-dirt he is. He wants "the good life" - you're in a successful band spanning almost twenty years; your albums have gone at least gold; you're fine, bud. I will admit though, it's a little catchy, almost funky. Reminds me rather positively of Break...
...until 2:15. And 2:45. Never do that again.
6) No More
I'm starting to notice something: every song on here, save for World So Cold, starts with a rather nice rhythm, but once Adam comes in, we revert back to "the norm". Speaking of Adam: will you cut it out?! The age of the anthem for the downtrodden is over - once you hear hundreds upon hundreds of songs like this, even the worst in-the-dumps teenagers start turning to other outlets for their catharsis. And the worst part is that I'm sure we're going to repeat this pattern down the road; every song will have Adam weeping his eyes all over the lyric sheet as his band-mates try in vain to make a rhythm to match his lunacy. I don't even hate the guy - he just bores me.
7) Last to Know
A piano. That's different. Oh, and Neil Sanderson joins in the fun. Adam also decides to show some pipes, proving that when he doesn't do the forced style he employs in other songs, he can actually be a convincing singer. For this album, it's an above-average song; while the lyrics are nothing special, removing the emphasis from the guitars allows the others to shine for a bit.
8) Someone Who Cares
For fifteen seconds, we have to endure a rather sharp siren sound coming from the guitarists as the dissonant chords just bounce and reverberate all over the place. More of the genius writing commences: "Like a dark cloud that chases you down"... "It's so hard to find someone who cares about you"... "but it's easy enough to find someone who looks down on you"... sweet mother of pearl, Adam, cheer the hell up!
What mystifies me is that the chorus, even though the lyrics are more of the same, is actually rather listenable - the key and the rhythm work in tandem to create a moving piece that help carry the song's weight. The bridge even peeks its head and gives us something to work with. But then the key changes, and the song just falls apart right then and there. Oh, and we get our intro back for the outro. Lovely. Yeesh.
9) Bully
Oh no, let me take a wild guess. Yep: after some schoolkid chanting to begin the song, we get to hear the story of kids too fed up with bullies in their school, and goddammit, they're gonna take a stand... somehow.
Also, this little piece of writing: "Blame the family / blame the bully / blame it on me"... whah? Blame you? What stake did you have in the affair? And how are they gonna take a stand? Well, that's never answered. Whatever.
EDIT: After further listening, the conclusion was brought up that this was not just about bullying; the two kids mentioned in the story were victims of suicide, because of their family, the bullies... and apparently Adam Goutier himself (re-read the stanza). Lovely. Just what we needed after several songs like these.
10) Without You
As far as I can tell, this song isn't in a 4/4 time signature... at least for the pre-chorus. And the key is at least a bit different. But seriously, what do you say about a song that says the same thing as seven of the previous songs on this album? "I'm nothing at all"... we get it. Seriously. We, get, it.
11) Goin' Down
You know, with a different set of lyrics, this song could actually be salvaged. I'm actually loving this rhythm, but the lyrics do absolutely nothing, especially when most of it is repeating "down, down, down", or rhyming "down" with something. It's finally time for them to get angry - rawr! - but all it does is remind me of Drowning Pool's Bodies. And oh wow, that bridge does not help: we went through this in The Good Life, Adam. Do not digitally enhance your voice. For the love of all things sacred.
12) Life Starts Now
The titular track, and after eleven tracks of being weepy, sad, and angst-ridden, we get our positive track. I'm sure this is part of a formula, whereby you fill an album with your admittance of depression and on-the-brink feelings, and then when you and your listener connect, you pull them out of their hole with words of encouragement. Noble, I suppose; but for a casual listener, this song won't sound encouraging so much as borderline saccharine. If that's your point of interest, to appeal to the downtrodden, then I guess it works, but at barely over 3 minutes it fails to leave much of an impression in any case.
After Ejection: Conclusions
My friend once commented on this band, saying that all of their songs consist of a pre-chorus, a chorus, then repeat, then a bridge, then a chorus. God help me if I'm ever able to argue against that logic after listening to this album. Even after a thorough run-through of this album, the only song that still sticks in my head is Break, and probably because I've heard it so many times. The other eleven tracks do absolutely nothing on this album, save maybe for Last to Know, and only because it's not emo-ridden cookie-cutter alt-metal-rock-punk-whatever-ness. And believe me, I've tried to avoid the word "emo" in this review; I'm not much of a fan of the word, but how else do you describe this? At least it's not unholy garbage...
RATING: [ 3.5 / 10 ]
The Bridge - The Rise and Fall of Linkin Park
Third installment of The Bridge, and the first to be posted on the LordKaT Blogs. These are the in-betweens of the album reviews whereby I speak my mind about the state of music today. Anything goes, here, as I build myself up from the fledgling music nerd that I am with a love of music in his heart.
First things first: I like Linkin Park.
Seriously, I do. Let me explain myself.
They're one of the first bands I was ever exposed to; while I had certainly grown up listening to music, as my Dad was a big fan of old 60's and 70's pop and off-rock (and, quite randomly, Enya), I just basically liked what he liked. All that changed around the time Meteora came out: my oldest sister picked me up from school one day and popped in the album, and after a couple songs asked me if I liked it. I don't know what clicked that day, but that album forged a connection with me. I liked how in-your-face they were, how much bombast they possessed, and all in all, just how cool they sounded. I had never really listened to much rap before, and they were my first introductions to rock and rap. It defined a lot of my future tastes, and I'll always thank my sister for that.
So, at Christmas, I received Meteora and Hybrid Theory, their first two full-length albums, and those spun in my mom's CD player that I borrowed for quite a while. From there I branched out into other bands, other genres, but I have those CDs to thank for my love of music today.
The year Minutes to Midnight came out I was definitely excited - it was all over the radio at the time. Soon after launch day, I decided to pick it up; I listened to it, and found myself liking it... but something was missing. At this very moment I'm still not sure what it was that really stopped me from fully enjoying the album, but there were some things that irked me: mainly how politically charged it was, how Chester Bennington (lead vocals) took so much emphasis away from Mike Shinoda (backup vocals, rapper). Shinoda's song "Hands Held High" carried most of the force, and yet I never really liked political songs - there are some System of a Down songs I still can't stand to listen to for that very reason. It was definitely a solid album, but not on par with what I considered their classics. Over the three to four years afterwards, I just kind of walked away from the band for a little bit.
Come 2010, I heard they were putting in a new album: A Thousand Suns. It was promised to bring a whole new sound to their audience, a refresher for those a bit jaded on today's music. By this time I had grown fond of Linkin Park again, especially after finding out about bands like Coal Chamber and Motograter in the past, so this was met with some derision. The couple of videos I had listened to didn't really impress me, and I really didn't think about the album again until today, when I sat down and listened to the album in full (sort of - piece by piece on Youtube).
And for anyone who follows me on Twitter, you know my reactions full well. If you don't, here's a brief summary:
It sucks.
It's a new sound all right... but God help me if anyone will ever truly identify it as Linkin Park. In a wild turn of events, the boys have gone from a rap-rock/nu-metal-esque style to what I can only guess is some sort of attempt at progressive rock(?) mixed with synth and techno. It's a jarring shift to a style almost never seen in the band. Now, I've seen this kind of shift done before to much better success - Disturbed switched from nu-metal in The Sickness to a more solid hard-rock/alt-metal in Believe, to come full circle in their magnum opus Ten Thousand Fists - but Linkin Park's attempt at a new genre comes off as way too experimental.
One major problem lies with the length of the album. There are fifteen tracks on here, and yet it clocks in at a mere 47 minutes and 45 seconds. Five of these songs almost don't make it to 2 minutes. The first three songs last 2:01, 0:57, and 4:13 respectively, and they're meant to link together - yet it's only the third song that carries any proper lyrics. Hell, one of the songs on this album is only eighteen seconds long, and it's the fourth song on the album! They're barely even proper intros: one of them is some speech Martin Luther King Jr. did while synth plays behind him and slowly modulates his voice down in octaves towards a robotic Terminator style voice that I suppose is meant to "haunt", but only serves to confuse. Shinoda raps here in When They Come For Me and Wretches and Kings, and amazingly enough they're two of the strongest songs on the album, even though Shinoda sounds more like Vanilla Ice than anything else.
The second problem is, as mentioned before, is that the album feels like one giant experiment - so many ideas and concepts are thrown at the wall, and very few of them sticks. In a baffling move, Chester raps in Blackout, and suffice to say it is the worst song on the album, perhaps in their entire career. Chester does his signature screaming voice on the song as well as rapping, but sometimes he breaks into a strange, cringe-worthy falsetto that just breaks the song into pieces at every attempt. This is preceeded by Waiting for the End, where Shinoda sings. Not in the background either, but in the foreground. He has his own stanzas. Unfortunately, he ... sucks. They try to deviate from their established styles, and while it would work with more cohesion, the fact that they also shifted styles, album construction, and swapped roles to-and-fro just make everything muddied, bland, and unworkable, almost approaching unlistenable.
You know what experiment worked? The Japanese flute in Nobody's Listening, and guess what? That flute didn't spill its contents over the CD like a knocked-over glass of milk, and therein lies the difference.
The third problem: it's not rap-rock. Call it snobby, but it's what I listen to Linkin Park for. It's how I was introduced to them; it's what I associate them with. Call their quality how you see it, but with songs like Nobody's Listening, Hit the Floor, and Papercut on past albums, they for the most part stuck with their strengths and created quality pieces that people could get attached to. Sure, they deviated from time to time, adding instruments, strategic placements of turntables, and complete DJ instrumentals at the penultimate track mark, but it worked. Here, it's all a bunch of prog-rock fuzz that never comes together, and instead only angers those that came into the band expecting something from some of the first to straddle the genres of rap and rock.
I don't know what else to say, to be quite honest. Korn says they'll be adding elements of dub-step to their next album, and even though I usually hate the hell out of the genre, they managed to make it work in the first single they released (Step Up). Still, though, this is yet another band that really got me into nu-metal, so here's to hoping the situation doesn't repeat itself. I still like Linkin Park, but half the fun's gone. I worry for the other bands I love.
That was my piece. Whew...
P.S. After writing this up, I found a rather scathing review of the album done by a Jim Faber of the NY Daily news. Below it are the comments; one of which made me laugh out loud. Here it is:
"Jim Faber. Who the hell are you? You dont have any sense of music and if you do all you can listen is ****. Linkin Park has moved on, they are not the types of bands that just stick to one thing. Its an amazing and superb album. This blog post is a shame on NYDaily News that they have such sick people writing such sick stories on one of the most searched topics on the web. #EPICFAIL for NYDaily and Jim Faber should sit at home and make cookies and listen to Radio News cuz thats what he can do. Utterly useless review. You think the first song is like a Justin Bieber thing? OMG... i wont even let you live in my underpants now! Sick Sick Sick Review and Jim Faber is !@#$%^&*@#$@#$%!@$%@#$%@%!$%!@#%!@$@#$#@$%#$^$%"
He should sit at home and make cookies. That's chuckle-worthy.
First things first: I like Linkin Park.
Seriously, I do. Let me explain myself.
They're one of the first bands I was ever exposed to; while I had certainly grown up listening to music, as my Dad was a big fan of old 60's and 70's pop and off-rock (and, quite randomly, Enya), I just basically liked what he liked. All that changed around the time Meteora came out: my oldest sister picked me up from school one day and popped in the album, and after a couple songs asked me if I liked it. I don't know what clicked that day, but that album forged a connection with me. I liked how in-your-face they were, how much bombast they possessed, and all in all, just how cool they sounded. I had never really listened to much rap before, and they were my first introductions to rock and rap. It defined a lot of my future tastes, and I'll always thank my sister for that.
So, at Christmas, I received Meteora and Hybrid Theory, their first two full-length albums, and those spun in my mom's CD player that I borrowed for quite a while. From there I branched out into other bands, other genres, but I have those CDs to thank for my love of music today.
The year Minutes to Midnight came out I was definitely excited - it was all over the radio at the time. Soon after launch day, I decided to pick it up; I listened to it, and found myself liking it... but something was missing. At this very moment I'm still not sure what it was that really stopped me from fully enjoying the album, but there were some things that irked me: mainly how politically charged it was, how Chester Bennington (lead vocals) took so much emphasis away from Mike Shinoda (backup vocals, rapper). Shinoda's song "Hands Held High" carried most of the force, and yet I never really liked political songs - there are some System of a Down songs I still can't stand to listen to for that very reason. It was definitely a solid album, but not on par with what I considered their classics. Over the three to four years afterwards, I just kind of walked away from the band for a little bit.
Come 2010, I heard they were putting in a new album: A Thousand Suns. It was promised to bring a whole new sound to their audience, a refresher for those a bit jaded on today's music. By this time I had grown fond of Linkin Park again, especially after finding out about bands like Coal Chamber and Motograter in the past, so this was met with some derision. The couple of videos I had listened to didn't really impress me, and I really didn't think about the album again until today, when I sat down and listened to the album in full (sort of - piece by piece on Youtube).
And for anyone who follows me on Twitter, you know my reactions full well. If you don't, here's a brief summary:
It sucks.
It's a new sound all right... but God help me if anyone will ever truly identify it as Linkin Park. In a wild turn of events, the boys have gone from a rap-rock/nu-metal-esque style to what I can only guess is some sort of attempt at progressive rock(?) mixed with synth and techno. It's a jarring shift to a style almost never seen in the band. Now, I've seen this kind of shift done before to much better success - Disturbed switched from nu-metal in The Sickness to a more solid hard-rock/alt-metal in Believe, to come full circle in their magnum opus Ten Thousand Fists - but Linkin Park's attempt at a new genre comes off as way too experimental.
One major problem lies with the length of the album. There are fifteen tracks on here, and yet it clocks in at a mere 47 minutes and 45 seconds. Five of these songs almost don't make it to 2 minutes. The first three songs last 2:01, 0:57, and 4:13 respectively, and they're meant to link together - yet it's only the third song that carries any proper lyrics. Hell, one of the songs on this album is only eighteen seconds long, and it's the fourth song on the album! They're barely even proper intros: one of them is some speech Martin Luther King Jr. did while synth plays behind him and slowly modulates his voice down in octaves towards a robotic Terminator style voice that I suppose is meant to "haunt", but only serves to confuse. Shinoda raps here in When They Come For Me and Wretches and Kings, and amazingly enough they're two of the strongest songs on the album, even though Shinoda sounds more like Vanilla Ice than anything else.
The second problem is, as mentioned before, is that the album feels like one giant experiment - so many ideas and concepts are thrown at the wall, and very few of them sticks. In a baffling move, Chester raps in Blackout, and suffice to say it is the worst song on the album, perhaps in their entire career. Chester does his signature screaming voice on the song as well as rapping, but sometimes he breaks into a strange, cringe-worthy falsetto that just breaks the song into pieces at every attempt. This is preceeded by Waiting for the End, where Shinoda sings. Not in the background either, but in the foreground. He has his own stanzas. Unfortunately, he ... sucks. They try to deviate from their established styles, and while it would work with more cohesion, the fact that they also shifted styles, album construction, and swapped roles to-and-fro just make everything muddied, bland, and unworkable, almost approaching unlistenable.
You know what experiment worked? The Japanese flute in Nobody's Listening, and guess what? That flute didn't spill its contents over the CD like a knocked-over glass of milk, and therein lies the difference.
The third problem: it's not rap-rock. Call it snobby, but it's what I listen to Linkin Park for. It's how I was introduced to them; it's what I associate them with. Call their quality how you see it, but with songs like Nobody's Listening, Hit the Floor, and Papercut on past albums, they for the most part stuck with their strengths and created quality pieces that people could get attached to. Sure, they deviated from time to time, adding instruments, strategic placements of turntables, and complete DJ instrumentals at the penultimate track mark, but it worked. Here, it's all a bunch of prog-rock fuzz that never comes together, and instead only angers those that came into the band expecting something from some of the first to straddle the genres of rap and rock.
I don't know what else to say, to be quite honest. Korn says they'll be adding elements of dub-step to their next album, and even though I usually hate the hell out of the genre, they managed to make it work in the first single they released (Step Up). Still, though, this is yet another band that really got me into nu-metal, so here's to hoping the situation doesn't repeat itself. I still like Linkin Park, but half the fun's gone. I worry for the other bands I love.
That was my piece. Whew...
P.S. After writing this up, I found a rather scathing review of the album done by a Jim Faber of the NY Daily news. Below it are the comments; one of which made me laugh out loud. Here it is:
"Jim Faber. Who the hell are you? You dont have any sense of music and if you do all you can listen is ****. Linkin Park has moved on, they are not the types of bands that just stick to one thing. Its an amazing and superb album. This blog post is a shame on NYDaily News that they have such sick people writing such sick stories on one of the most searched topics on the web. #EPICFAIL for NYDaily and Jim Faber should sit at home and make cookies and listen to Radio News cuz thats what he can do. Utterly useless review. You think the first song is like a Justin Bieber thing? OMG... i wont even let you live in my underpants now! Sick Sick Sick Review and Jim Faber is !@#$%^&*@#$@#$%!@$%@#$%@%!$%!@#%!@$@#$#@$%#$^$%"
He should sit at home and make cookies. That's chuckle-worthy.
Jewelcase Treasures: Album Review of Lupe Fiasco - Lasers
I was two days late for the Lacuna Coil review, and now I'll be two days early for this one to compensate! So with that out of the way - a quickie intro, I know - let's get to the bottom of our good friend Lupe Fiasco's album, Lasers, released back in the beginning of March.
A great guy through and through, and one of the best examples of Muslim musicians around. So now we get into the meat of the album:
Right away we notice a substantial change: while his previous two albums kept towards a more streamlined hip-hop vibe, we're already getting signs of an R&B bend to it, not only in the emphasized vocal effects but the beats as well. The chorus is pretty awesome, but the featurette doesn't do too much here, which is rather sad - she sounds like she has a great voice. Oh, and we get an album name drop! Good start.
2) Words I Never Said (feat. Skylar Grey)
The second single released for this album, and brings in the piano for a bit of flair. The lyrics in here... um ... well, I've never been a fan of super-political songs, and it's obvious from the beginning that this song is one - when your first words are "I think the war on terror is a bunch of bullshit" it's difficult to think otherwise. Throw in some gunshots to emphasize the point, a shot against budget cuts, unimportant TV, jabs on Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh - this is unfortunately Political Song 101. I don't necessarily disagree with the man's point of view, but it's still a song that I just can't care about. On top of it, he also raps about his Muslim faith and the problems surrounding the views thereof by other people, and again, we've heard this kind of stuff before. It's to the point where the song title has no meaning - what were the "Words I Never Said"? This song is all about him complaining to his audience about jerks in the world. The lyrics are well-done, but - repeating myself here - I just don't care.
3) Till I Get There
The beat is a bit simplified, but we're past the uncomfortableness and the digital overemphasization, into some good ol' rap with a man who knows his lyricism - storyboard rap is his bread and butter, and it shows. A simple song, but boy was it needed.
4) I Don't Wanna Care Right Now (feat. MDMA)
Wow, does this sound like a Sean Paul song. Beat's rather catchy, and Lupe's flow is quite solid here. We're also introduced to the Matthew Santos of the album; Santos was a prominent featurette in The Cool, and was a Filipino singer who did exceptionally well with his collaborations. MDMA (who's autotuned here) doesn't really match up, though I'll tell you in advance this is one of his better efforts on this album - you'll see what I mean in a bit.
5) Out Of My Head (feat. Trey Songz)
Yes: Trey Songz. I had my doubts, but he does alright here. The beat's quite bombastic, a lot of influence from the keyboard - really cements this as more of an R&B song (with or without Songz's influence). Hard to really judge the song from this point - it's alright. Trey and Lupe don't really do anything wrong, the beat's quite good; it's alright.
6) The Show Goes On
Modest Mouse fans? This is your rap song. It samples one of their most famous songs, Float On, and Fiasco treats it quite well, making a fantastic chorus out of it while supporting it with solid lyrics. One hell of an anthem, and really helped to present the album to fans - this was the first single of the album. The show goes on, alright.
7) Beautiful Lasers (2 Ways)
... ball dropped. Some might think differently, but my God do I hate the intro to this song. MDMA's voice is butchered six ways from Sunday with a combination of autotune and whatever other effects they threw on it. It's the combination of effects that occur when MDMA says "trapped in" that just make me cringe. The guitar solo (?) at the end even sounds chopped up. Lupe's lyrics are quite good, but the beat is rather slow and just kinda lumbers on. This is the song I was talking about back in I Don't Wanna Care Right Now, and goodness gracious do I not want to care, either.
8) Coming Up (feat. MDMA)
Sorry for that, folks - apparently someone derped at the controls on the last song; we're makin' it up to you here. The beat here is much improved, MDMA sounds better, and Lupe's flow is excellent once again. I know the descending keyboard riff is from something, but I can't place it... in any case, this is quite a good song, and one hell of an improvement over Beautiful Lasers.
9) State Run Radio (feat. sELF)
Did I....... wha....? It sounds like a Weird Al song at first, sung by a group of men 30 years his junior. And then again we're back on "the problems in the world"... give it a break, Lupe. You're not political. System of a Down did it better, bud. I love you, but this was so unnecessary - especially since you just did this on Words I Never Said, and that song wasn't even that good in the first place. sELF doesn't really add anything to the mix; they have a part at the beginning, and they chant the title, but it's more jarring than special. It's certainly nice to see a rock flair on the album, but it's hard to juxtapose two messages in the same song, whereby Lupe is comparing news or whatever to overplayed pop songs. Kay...?
10) Break the Chain (feat. Eric Turner, Sway)
Forget rock now, let's go into.... techno! Sure!... but fuck it, I'll take the change. Especially when the lyrics are better, both featurettes kick about 3 times more ass (especially Sway, the second rapper in the song), and the beat is all around better. Why weren't these guys prominent featurettes?!
And I just found out that Sway is British. Holy crap... finally, a rapper from Britain! And a decent one, too! Sweet.
11) All Black Everything
Being a white guy, this is a rather awkward song to listen to. It's exactly what it sounds like: what if some of the most important figures of the world were black instead of white? Apparently Malcolm X would die old, Bill O'Reilly would read from the Qu'ran, and other strange little oddities. I will mention the fact that the beat's pretty unique, but the lyrics - while good - are a bit uncomfortable. He's not racist by any means, but it seems to bend the view a tad to say that "our" oppression of African-Americans caused so many of the problems in the world. On behalf of all white people, Lupe: we're sorry, alright? Jeez.
12) Never Forget You (feat. John Legend)
OK, I'm just going to say this now: John Legend is the singer on this song, and my God does he kick untold amounts of ass on this. He reminds me (positively!) of Matthew Santos, and that's a memory I want more of. It's a style not often seen in hip-hop, and it's so refreshing. The beat is pretty good, Lupe lyricizes quite well, but Mr. Legend steals the show. Maybe I'm just blinded by nostalgia. Nostalgia for an album done in 2007... ah, whatever.
RATING: [ 6 / 10 ]
On the Cover: Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco (real name Wasalu Muhammad Jaco) is a young rapper from the Windy City of Chicago, famous for his independant works via his own record company, First and Fifteenth (and now Atlantic). He caught major attention with his first song, Kick, Push, a rap song about the life of a skateboarder and his eventual falling in love with a girl that shared his interests. He released two albums before Lasers: Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor and The Cool, which were met by quite the acclaim from those jaded on the Dark Age of hip-hop still prevalent today. Lasers was to be his final album (and was supposed to be called L.U.P.End as referenced in many of the songs on The Cool) but due to internal problems with Atlantic Records had a change of plans.A great guy through and through, and one of the best examples of Muslim musicians around. So now we get into the meat of the album:
Inside the Case: Tracklist
1) Letting Go (feat. Sarah Green)Right away we notice a substantial change: while his previous two albums kept towards a more streamlined hip-hop vibe, we're already getting signs of an R&B bend to it, not only in the emphasized vocal effects but the beats as well. The chorus is pretty awesome, but the featurette doesn't do too much here, which is rather sad - she sounds like she has a great voice. Oh, and we get an album name drop! Good start.
2) Words I Never Said (feat. Skylar Grey)
The second single released for this album, and brings in the piano for a bit of flair. The lyrics in here... um ... well, I've never been a fan of super-political songs, and it's obvious from the beginning that this song is one - when your first words are "I think the war on terror is a bunch of bullshit" it's difficult to think otherwise. Throw in some gunshots to emphasize the point, a shot against budget cuts, unimportant TV, jabs on Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh - this is unfortunately Political Song 101. I don't necessarily disagree with the man's point of view, but it's still a song that I just can't care about. On top of it, he also raps about his Muslim faith and the problems surrounding the views thereof by other people, and again, we've heard this kind of stuff before. It's to the point where the song title has no meaning - what were the "Words I Never Said"? This song is all about him complaining to his audience about jerks in the world. The lyrics are well-done, but - repeating myself here - I just don't care.
3) Till I Get There
The beat is a bit simplified, but we're past the uncomfortableness and the digital overemphasization, into some good ol' rap with a man who knows his lyricism - storyboard rap is his bread and butter, and it shows. A simple song, but boy was it needed.
4) I Don't Wanna Care Right Now (feat. MDMA)
Wow, does this sound like a Sean Paul song. Beat's rather catchy, and Lupe's flow is quite solid here. We're also introduced to the Matthew Santos of the album; Santos was a prominent featurette in The Cool, and was a Filipino singer who did exceptionally well with his collaborations. MDMA (who's autotuned here) doesn't really match up, though I'll tell you in advance this is one of his better efforts on this album - you'll see what I mean in a bit.
5) Out Of My Head (feat. Trey Songz)
Yes: Trey Songz. I had my doubts, but he does alright here. The beat's quite bombastic, a lot of influence from the keyboard - really cements this as more of an R&B song (with or without Songz's influence). Hard to really judge the song from this point - it's alright. Trey and Lupe don't really do anything wrong, the beat's quite good; it's alright.
6) The Show Goes On
Modest Mouse fans? This is your rap song. It samples one of their most famous songs, Float On, and Fiasco treats it quite well, making a fantastic chorus out of it while supporting it with solid lyrics. One hell of an anthem, and really helped to present the album to fans - this was the first single of the album. The show goes on, alright.
7) Beautiful Lasers (2 Ways)
... ball dropped. Some might think differently, but my God do I hate the intro to this song. MDMA's voice is butchered six ways from Sunday with a combination of autotune and whatever other effects they threw on it. It's the combination of effects that occur when MDMA says "trapped in" that just make me cringe. The guitar solo (?) at the end even sounds chopped up. Lupe's lyrics are quite good, but the beat is rather slow and just kinda lumbers on. This is the song I was talking about back in I Don't Wanna Care Right Now, and goodness gracious do I not want to care, either.
8) Coming Up (feat. MDMA)
Sorry for that, folks - apparently someone derped at the controls on the last song; we're makin' it up to you here. The beat here is much improved, MDMA sounds better, and Lupe's flow is excellent once again. I know the descending keyboard riff is from something, but I can't place it... in any case, this is quite a good song, and one hell of an improvement over Beautiful Lasers.
9) State Run Radio (feat. sELF)
Did I....... wha....? It sounds like a Weird Al song at first, sung by a group of men 30 years his junior. And then again we're back on "the problems in the world"... give it a break, Lupe. You're not political. System of a Down did it better, bud. I love you, but this was so unnecessary - especially since you just did this on Words I Never Said, and that song wasn't even that good in the first place. sELF doesn't really add anything to the mix; they have a part at the beginning, and they chant the title, but it's more jarring than special. It's certainly nice to see a rock flair on the album, but it's hard to juxtapose two messages in the same song, whereby Lupe is comparing news or whatever to overplayed pop songs. Kay...?
10) Break the Chain (feat. Eric Turner, Sway)
Forget rock now, let's go into.... techno! Sure!... but fuck it, I'll take the change. Especially when the lyrics are better, both featurettes kick about 3 times more ass (especially Sway, the second rapper in the song), and the beat is all around better. Why weren't these guys prominent featurettes?!
And I just found out that Sway is British. Holy crap... finally, a rapper from Britain! And a decent one, too! Sweet.
11) All Black Everything
Being a white guy, this is a rather awkward song to listen to. It's exactly what it sounds like: what if some of the most important figures of the world were black instead of white? Apparently Malcolm X would die old, Bill O'Reilly would read from the Qu'ran, and other strange little oddities. I will mention the fact that the beat's pretty unique, but the lyrics - while good - are a bit uncomfortable. He's not racist by any means, but it seems to bend the view a tad to say that "our" oppression of African-Americans caused so many of the problems in the world. On behalf of all white people, Lupe: we're sorry, alright? Jeez.
12) Never Forget You (feat. John Legend)
OK, I'm just going to say this now: John Legend is the singer on this song, and my God does he kick untold amounts of ass on this. He reminds me (positively!) of Matthew Santos, and that's a memory I want more of. It's a style not often seen in hip-hop, and it's so refreshing. The beat is pretty good, Lupe lyricizes quite well, but Mr. Legend steals the show. Maybe I'm just blinded by nostalgia. Nostalgia for an album done in 2007... ah, whatever.
After Ejection: Conclusions
When I reviewed this album on Twitter, I gave this a 7.5 out of 10; and of course, after a second run-through, I have a different viewpoint. I unfortunately have to rate it a tad lower: State Run Radio lost a lot of its edge, the political songs were more grating than before, and the loss of Santos and "gaining" MDMA was still a problem for me. Regardless, Lupe Fiasco himself still shows that his lyricism is quite solid, and he still managed to bring in some excellent performances for his featurettes (John Legend and Sway in particular). All in all though, for a third album, this doesn't hold up to his two previous albums - though one could say those two albums are hard to top.RATING: [ 6 / 10 ]
Jewelcase Treasures: Album Review of Lacuna Coil - Karmacode
I know I never said I was putting this on a rigorous schedule, but Tuesdays are always big for music; many albums are released on this pivotal day, and so I like to time my articles as such.
And yet today (tomorrow?) is Thursday. Derp.
Ah well. Let's get started with the usual format: time to review the Lacuna Coil album Karmacode, an "oldie" from 2006.
......... wait, who are they again?
Lacuna Coil (meaning "empty spiral") is an interesting little band. The group, if the name is any indication, is Italian, and they play a gothic metal style of music; oftentimes they mix in strings, Middle Eastern instruments, among other nice touches. While almost all of their songs are in English, they do include Italian songs in the mix. The vocalist, Cristina Scabbia, is flanked by Andrea Ferro, and together (live performances aside) create an interesting duo of sound, Cristina usually in the foreground. The other four members - Cristiano Migliore and Marco Biazzi on guitars, Marco Coti Zelati on bass and keyboards, and Cristiano Mozzati on drums - represent the rest of the band and do a great job on making a defining sound.
But do they pull it off well here? Well... only one way to find out.
Right away we start with a pumping bass, and the introduction of Cristina. She's soon, however, replaced by Andrea, who does a good job of leading us into a rather awesome chorus that shows off the vocalist double-team. What powers this song is the rhythm, especially when it comes up after the bridge, with the powerful bass-line (almost slap-bass in the guitar). No frills here - quite an excellent song.
2) To The Edge
Believe me, this sounds SO much better on the album than live. The keyboardist and the guitarists work exceptionally well here, and Andrea and Cristina do their jobs in grand fashion. And GOD the rhythm... so kick-ass. This is, bar none, my favorite song by them. Wish I had my bass guitar back; this is the one song I really wanted to play on it. *sadface*
3) Our Truth
This song is one of Lacuna Coil's most famous pieces - it's the song featured in Guitar Hero World Tour, and it's how I got introduced to this band. The Middle Eastern influences in the pre-chorus set it apart from the previous two songs, and Cristina does a wonderful job otherwise. Andrea doesn't do too much here; this is Cristina's time to shine, but the two do sing together in the chorus. Watch the music video version of this song if you get a chance.
4) Within Me
Three tremendously awesome songs, followed up by.... well....... this. I hate to say it, but Andrea Ferro just sounds like he gave up here. The beginning sounds so tired, so basic, that it's completely jarring - "Something about you / just makes me feel bad" sung rather slowly does not a good song make. Cristina does well enough here, but the song just never really recovers enough. Andrea's parts just don't do anything justice - in some parts it sounds like his Italian accent gets in the way, since he usually doesn't sing for longer than half a verse. In here, he has whole stanzas. I don't mind softer gothic metal, but... not as good of a song as I was hoping. I will admit the chorus is pretty well-done though.
5) Devoted
Um, ... the beginning sounds like a slowed down version of Fragile, without Cristina singing. The hell? Andrea is in the foreground once more, and while his lyrics aren't as super-basic as they were, he's still sometimes hard to understand, as the guitars seem to drown him out a tad; on top of which, his accent still gets in the way a few times. A bit too similar to Fragile; hell, even the ending sounds like it. Not a bad song, just not very creative.
6) You Create
At only a minute and a half, it's hard to really judge this song. It's basically Cristina chanting over guitars and bass, while Andrea shows up about a minute in with some weird, gruff stigma about "There are no limits". ... wat
7) What I See
... aaaah, I get it now. "You Create What I See". Clever, Lacuna Coil. Too bad You Create doesn't really sound like it leads into What I See, which sounds less gothic than the previous songs on this album... in fact, it sounds a lot like Korn if Cristina took over for Jonathan Davis. An epic bass-line drives the song, and it's certainly good, but in the face of the first three songs... meh?
8) Fragments of Faith
The hell? Are we copying Fragile's intro again? What's going on here? Trust me, it's not a complete copy, and the tempo is indeed slower, but my God, guys. At least we get some strings down the road to differentate it a bit... though it just keeps sounding like Fragile. Until the chorus, which has dissonant chords aplenty, Andrea actually dropping his voice an octave, and some incredibly strong bass. It's a great song, and I'm glad they liked Fragile enough to make two songs that almost sounded like it, but goodness, could you make it any more obvious?
9) Closer
What in the...? Jarring beginning, to be sure, and it almost sounds more like a cover of a totally different song than something a gothic metal band would make. Apparently this song was on another Guitar Hero game as well, and it sounds like it (not necessarily a bad thing though). It's a good song, don't get me wrong; just prepare yourself a bit for it beforehand.
10) In Visible Light
Geddit?
Great little pitter-patter of drums during the chorus helps make this a standout amongst the slower songs on this track, and it doesn't sound like a copy of any other song on here. Cristina also seems to reach even higher octaves than before, and she sounds quite beautiful here. Andrea sounds stronger as well - the two sound, like the first three songs, like a strong vocalizing duo again. There's even a string fanfare in the bridge. Great little song, definitely amongst the strongest.
11) The Game
We're back up to speed, and we pull a tad off the bass to give the higher registers a bit more oomph. Looks like we're finding our strength again, as Andrea and Cristina do their jobs as they're best done, with Cristina leading the way and Andrea giving a good foundation for her to stand on. And is that... a guitar solo!? Yes! The poor lead guitarist finally gets his chance to shine here, and while it's not exactly a head-shredder of a solo, it's at least nice to know that he's gotten some love too. To be fair, very rarely does gothic metal focus on guitar solos, so my reaction may not exactly be justified or even necessary.
12) Without Fear
Italian band, remember? Here's your Italian song, served with a side of Cristina's beautiful singing as she sings in her native language the best she can. Andrea also joins her, for a smooth rendition. Speaking of Andrea... wow, does he sound much better. A little more confidence with the native language, less bombast, and you get a surprisingly nice stretch of vocals from the male lead. Quite a nice song. ... and the guitarists show up again! Schweet. ... and is that an accordion? Nice job by the keyboardist as well.
13) Enjoy the Silence
Hi, Depeche Mode fans! Lacuna Coil would like to tell you that they love the band too, and to be quite honest, this is a great cover. Andrea and Cristina work together to put a gothic spin on this classic electronica song. Quite ashamedly, this version is the one I listened to before the Depeche Mode version, and while I slightly prefer this one, both songs are quite well-done. A great closer to the album.
Just don't listen to them live. Yeesh.
[ RATING: 6.5 / 10 ]
And yet today (tomorrow?) is Thursday. Derp.
Ah well. Let's get started with the usual format: time to review the Lacuna Coil album Karmacode, an "oldie" from 2006.
......... wait, who are they again?
On the Cover: Lacuna Coil
 |  |
Lacuna Coil (meaning "empty spiral") is an interesting little band. The group, if the name is any indication, is Italian, and they play a gothic metal style of music; oftentimes they mix in strings, Middle Eastern instruments, among other nice touches. While almost all of their songs are in English, they do include Italian songs in the mix. The vocalist, Cristina Scabbia, is flanked by Andrea Ferro, and together (live performances aside) create an interesting duo of sound, Cristina usually in the foreground. The other four members - Cristiano Migliore and Marco Biazzi on guitars, Marco Coti Zelati on bass and keyboards, and Cristiano Mozzati on drums - represent the rest of the band and do a great job on making a defining sound.
But do they pull it off well here? Well... only one way to find out.
Inside the Case: Tracklist
1) FragileRight away we start with a pumping bass, and the introduction of Cristina. She's soon, however, replaced by Andrea, who does a good job of leading us into a rather awesome chorus that shows off the vocalist double-team. What powers this song is the rhythm, especially when it comes up after the bridge, with the powerful bass-line (almost slap-bass in the guitar). No frills here - quite an excellent song.
2) To The Edge
Believe me, this sounds SO much better on the album than live. The keyboardist and the guitarists work exceptionally well here, and Andrea and Cristina do their jobs in grand fashion. And GOD the rhythm... so kick-ass. This is, bar none, my favorite song by them. Wish I had my bass guitar back; this is the one song I really wanted to play on it. *sadface*
3) Our Truth
This song is one of Lacuna Coil's most famous pieces - it's the song featured in Guitar Hero World Tour, and it's how I got introduced to this band. The Middle Eastern influences in the pre-chorus set it apart from the previous two songs, and Cristina does a wonderful job otherwise. Andrea doesn't do too much here; this is Cristina's time to shine, but the two do sing together in the chorus. Watch the music video version of this song if you get a chance.
4) Within Me
Three tremendously awesome songs, followed up by.... well....... this. I hate to say it, but Andrea Ferro just sounds like he gave up here. The beginning sounds so tired, so basic, that it's completely jarring - "Something about you / just makes me feel bad" sung rather slowly does not a good song make. Cristina does well enough here, but the song just never really recovers enough. Andrea's parts just don't do anything justice - in some parts it sounds like his Italian accent gets in the way, since he usually doesn't sing for longer than half a verse. In here, he has whole stanzas. I don't mind softer gothic metal, but... not as good of a song as I was hoping. I will admit the chorus is pretty well-done though.
5) Devoted
Um, ... the beginning sounds like a slowed down version of Fragile, without Cristina singing. The hell? Andrea is in the foreground once more, and while his lyrics aren't as super-basic as they were, he's still sometimes hard to understand, as the guitars seem to drown him out a tad; on top of which, his accent still gets in the way a few times. A bit too similar to Fragile; hell, even the ending sounds like it. Not a bad song, just not very creative.
6) You Create
At only a minute and a half, it's hard to really judge this song. It's basically Cristina chanting over guitars and bass, while Andrea shows up about a minute in with some weird, gruff stigma about "There are no limits". ... wat
7) What I See
... aaaah, I get it now. "You Create What I See". Clever, Lacuna Coil. Too bad You Create doesn't really sound like it leads into What I See, which sounds less gothic than the previous songs on this album... in fact, it sounds a lot like Korn if Cristina took over for Jonathan Davis. An epic bass-line drives the song, and it's certainly good, but in the face of the first three songs... meh?
8) Fragments of Faith
The hell? Are we copying Fragile's intro again? What's going on here? Trust me, it's not a complete copy, and the tempo is indeed slower, but my God, guys. At least we get some strings down the road to differentate it a bit... though it just keeps sounding like Fragile. Until the chorus, which has dissonant chords aplenty, Andrea actually dropping his voice an octave, and some incredibly strong bass. It's a great song, and I'm glad they liked Fragile enough to make two songs that almost sounded like it, but goodness, could you make it any more obvious?
9) Closer
What in the...? Jarring beginning, to be sure, and it almost sounds more like a cover of a totally different song than something a gothic metal band would make. Apparently this song was on another Guitar Hero game as well, and it sounds like it (not necessarily a bad thing though). It's a good song, don't get me wrong; just prepare yourself a bit for it beforehand.
10) In Visible Light
Geddit?
Great little pitter-patter of drums during the chorus helps make this a standout amongst the slower songs on this track, and it doesn't sound like a copy of any other song on here. Cristina also seems to reach even higher octaves than before, and she sounds quite beautiful here. Andrea sounds stronger as well - the two sound, like the first three songs, like a strong vocalizing duo again. There's even a string fanfare in the bridge. Great little song, definitely amongst the strongest.
11) The Game
We're back up to speed, and we pull a tad off the bass to give the higher registers a bit more oomph. Looks like we're finding our strength again, as Andrea and Cristina do their jobs as they're best done, with Cristina leading the way and Andrea giving a good foundation for her to stand on. And is that... a guitar solo!? Yes! The poor lead guitarist finally gets his chance to shine here, and while it's not exactly a head-shredder of a solo, it's at least nice to know that he's gotten some love too. To be fair, very rarely does gothic metal focus on guitar solos, so my reaction may not exactly be justified or even necessary.
12) Without Fear
Italian band, remember? Here's your Italian song, served with a side of Cristina's beautiful singing as she sings in her native language the best she can. Andrea also joins her, for a smooth rendition. Speaking of Andrea... wow, does he sound much better. A little more confidence with the native language, less bombast, and you get a surprisingly nice stretch of vocals from the male lead. Quite a nice song. ... and the guitarists show up again! Schweet. ... and is that an accordion? Nice job by the keyboardist as well.
13) Enjoy the Silence
Hi, Depeche Mode fans! Lacuna Coil would like to tell you that they love the band too, and to be quite honest, this is a great cover. Andrea and Cristina work together to put a gothic spin on this classic electronica song. Quite ashamedly, this version is the one I listened to before the Depeche Mode version, and while I slightly prefer this one, both songs are quite well-done. A great closer to the album.
After Ejection: Conclusions
Cristina Scabbia pulls in some of the best vocalwork I've seen from female-led metal bands, and I enjoyed listening to her throughout the whole album. Her counter-part Andrea sometimes slips up, but he does well enough. The first three songs are excellent pieces of work, and the last songs are quite well-done too, but there is a noticeable slump in the middle that will discourage some listeners. Press on though, and you'll find a favorite amongst this list.Just don't listen to them live. Yeesh.
[ RATING: 6.5 / 10 ]
The Bridge: Foreign Languages in Music
Sorry for the lack of updates recently, for the one person who probably has been following this blog. Or ever glanced at it. Or laughed at it. But I'll be updating it alongside my blog posts on http://www.lordkat.com/blog . So... to business.
This is the second installment of The Bridge, where I muse about music in general... and I think we can make it a bit more exotic, don't ya think? Spice it up a bit.
One of my favorite metal songs is from a Finnish metal song named Verta ja Lihaa, made by a good group of men that call themselves Turmion Katilot - the Midwives of Doom. ... yea. Anyway, some of the people that know me on the chat (or heck, even elsewhere) know of my love for foreign music. Something about it just clicks with me; cultural influences on the rhythms and subjects, oftentimes how they get away with things that we wouldn't even dare think of due to much more lax censorship laws, and all in all better quality due to less pressure from outside sources to fit the norm in order to sell.
Look at the video for Verta ja Lihaa if you want to see my point. I could write a whole blogpost on that alone. You Finns are weird, but dammit if y'all aren't awesome.
And hell, a ton of this music is in entirely different languages. Perhaps it's some sort of "Exotic Syndrome" or some shenanigans like that, but ever since middle school I've always been a fan of foreign languages. I was born, raised, and still live in Texas - Spanish is everywhere. It's in your menus, your public restrooms, your legal documents, everywhere, so that our brothers and sisters south of the border can have a bit of a leg up here. And I always liked that.
Though this really didn't branch out into my love for music that much until recently, since I never really quite paid attention to the media until about late middle school; this was when my older sister would introduce me to her favorite metal bands (of which were Linkin Park and Disturbed, at least at the time). It was around high school when all of this came together.
One of my teachers in my junior year, Mr. Dean, was quite an eccentric fellow. An excellent teacher, don't get me wrong, but quite an odd man. Anyway, he was apparently showing a previous class-period a trailer for a Russian movie named Nochnoy Dozor (Night Watch); it turned out to be a music video.
I was floored. This guy was rapping in Russian; there was a ton of Arabic-culture influence both in the beat and in the video; and most of all, this guy sounded fucking AWESOME. How they made this guy's voice sound so sinister, how it melded together so well with the sounds and events from the video... I loved it. I asked my teacher later what the video was, and he told me the name of it (in a Russian accent of course. He was weird. Loved him though. Great guy.)
So I had to find out more about this "Seryoga" guy, see what else he did. One of my first finds was the work he did with Grand Theft Auto - Liberty City...
... and I was likin' him more and more. And then I found this in the sidebar.
Russian AND German. IN THE SAME VIDEO. And the beat... I remember watching this video for the first time, mouth agape, as these two rappers (speaking completely different languages) bounced off each other.
And you know, now that I think about it, this and Tamerlana have featured shirtless men. This worries me. But nah, probably nothing.
Anyway, I was completely hooked. From Seryoga, I unfortunately couldn't find much in the way of Russian rappers, but from Azad I found a WEALTH of artists: Kool Savas, Die Fantastischen Vier, Samy Deluxe, Greis, Curse, Kaz Money, Ercandize, Jifusi, Maeckes/Plan B... the list goes on. I've listened to these artists at least once and have found favorites among them, and from so many other countries.
Except for Bushido. Jackass.
As I mentioned before, from all of these artists I found something I was missing from domestic hip-hop - freedom. It was the 80s and 90s again for them, transplanted into the rough-and-tumble world of the 21st century. They rapped about their troubles. Their charisma was devout and concrete. They loved their art. They wanted their voice heard, not just from in their country but around the world. Especially a lot of these German artists were Turkish-born (speaking of which, Ceza is an excellent pick for Turkish hip-hop) and they were - and still are - facing the same struggles that young blacks in the 1970s were in America, and have now found their voice in this bombastic genre.
Believe me, I've found my loves in domestic hip-hop and metal since then, but without this a lot of my love for music probably would not have been born. I attribute a lot of my love to these guys who may only barely speak my language, and of which I can never be able to speak theirs (though my Spanish ain't bad and I'm getting somewhere with Finnish and German). I'd like for y'all to try an artist or two from a country you've always wanted to know more about; ask your international friends for a suggestion or two, and see if you feel the same way about them as I did.
Thanks Mr. Dean.
And thanks to you, dear reader.
This is the second installment of The Bridge, where I muse about music in general... and I think we can make it a bit more exotic, don't ya think? Spice it up a bit.
One of my favorite metal songs is from a Finnish metal song named Verta ja Lihaa, made by a good group of men that call themselves Turmion Katilot - the Midwives of Doom. ... yea. Anyway, some of the people that know me on the chat (or heck, even elsewhere) know of my love for foreign music. Something about it just clicks with me; cultural influences on the rhythms and subjects, oftentimes how they get away with things that we wouldn't even dare think of due to much more lax censorship laws, and all in all better quality due to less pressure from outside sources to fit the norm in order to sell.
Look at the video for Verta ja Lihaa if you want to see my point. I could write a whole blogpost on that alone. You Finns are weird, but dammit if y'all aren't awesome.
And hell, a ton of this music is in entirely different languages. Perhaps it's some sort of "Exotic Syndrome" or some shenanigans like that, but ever since middle school I've always been a fan of foreign languages. I was born, raised, and still live in Texas - Spanish is everywhere. It's in your menus, your public restrooms, your legal documents, everywhere, so that our brothers and sisters south of the border can have a bit of a leg up here. And I always liked that.
Though this really didn't branch out into my love for music that much until recently, since I never really quite paid attention to the media until about late middle school; this was when my older sister would introduce me to her favorite metal bands (of which were Linkin Park and Disturbed, at least at the time). It was around high school when all of this came together.
One of my teachers in my junior year, Mr. Dean, was quite an eccentric fellow. An excellent teacher, don't get me wrong, but quite an odd man. Anyway, he was apparently showing a previous class-period a trailer for a Russian movie named Nochnoy Dozor (Night Watch); it turned out to be a music video.
I was floored. This guy was rapping in Russian; there was a ton of Arabic-culture influence both in the beat and in the video; and most of all, this guy sounded fucking AWESOME. How they made this guy's voice sound so sinister, how it melded together so well with the sounds and events from the video... I loved it. I asked my teacher later what the video was, and he told me the name of it (in a Russian accent of course. He was weird. Loved him though. Great guy.)
So I had to find out more about this "Seryoga" guy, see what else he did. One of my first finds was the work he did with Grand Theft Auto - Liberty City...
... and I was likin' him more and more. And then I found this in the sidebar.
Russian AND German. IN THE SAME VIDEO. And the beat... I remember watching this video for the first time, mouth agape, as these two rappers (speaking completely different languages) bounced off each other.
And you know, now that I think about it, this and Tamerlana have featured shirtless men. This worries me. But nah, probably nothing.
Anyway, I was completely hooked. From Seryoga, I unfortunately couldn't find much in the way of Russian rappers, but from Azad I found a WEALTH of artists: Kool Savas, Die Fantastischen Vier, Samy Deluxe, Greis, Curse, Kaz Money, Ercandize, Jifusi, Maeckes/Plan B... the list goes on. I've listened to these artists at least once and have found favorites among them, and from so many other countries.
Except for Bushido. Jackass.
As I mentioned before, from all of these artists I found something I was missing from domestic hip-hop - freedom. It was the 80s and 90s again for them, transplanted into the rough-and-tumble world of the 21st century. They rapped about their troubles. Their charisma was devout and concrete. They loved their art. They wanted their voice heard, not just from in their country but around the world. Especially a lot of these German artists were Turkish-born (speaking of which, Ceza is an excellent pick for Turkish hip-hop) and they were - and still are - facing the same struggles that young blacks in the 1970s were in America, and have now found their voice in this bombastic genre.
Believe me, I've found my loves in domestic hip-hop and metal since then, but without this a lot of my love for music probably would not have been born. I attribute a lot of my love to these guys who may only barely speak my language, and of which I can never be able to speak theirs (though my Spanish ain't bad and I'm getting somewhere with Finnish and German). I'd like for y'all to try an artist or two from a country you've always wanted to know more about; ask your international friends for a suggestion or two, and see if you feel the same way about them as I did.
Thanks Mr. Dean.
And thanks to you, dear reader.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Album Review: Classified - Handshakes and Middle Fingers
So, after weeks of frothing at the mouth with iTunes dropping its pre-order period the day I try to purchase it, and with week-long delays, etc., I am now the proud owner of this album.
This is the first full album I've bought from this artist, my previous experiences having been with Last.fm and various songs here and there.
So let's begin. This is a review of Classified's latest album, Handshakes and Middle Fingers. But wait, some of you might be asking: who the hell is Classified?
On the Cover: Classified
Classified is one of the leading artists behind a growing cultivation of Canadian hip-hop.
Yep, Canadian.
No longer a country of mooses (moose? Meese?), maple syrup, and mountains, the country has decided to produce a surprisingly high-quality amount of talent that focuses on an old-school style of lyricism, and tends towards a more jazz-hop kind of feel to the beats. The 25-year-old artist, who has been making hip-hop tracks since he was 10, has led the ranks of such artists as Maestro, female rapper Eternia, and DL Incognito, and have given a fresh image to the current dark age of English language hip-hop.
Inside the Case: Tracklist
1) Intro - Ups and Downs
Remember what I said about jazz-hop? We start off...... with French horns. Huh. Starts off with Classified in a rather sour and down mood, but at the introduction of his daughter, he brightens up, as does the background music. ... Then his rap career is brought up, and he's back to the dumps again. It's a great little story, but the choice to put this at the beginning of the album irks me a tad. I would have put this track at the end, but it's still a great quality track.2) That Ain't Classy
The first single from the album. One of the first lyrics? "Call me Mr. Negativity", which is kinda funny considering the previous track... ironic? Intentional? Never know. It's part of the reason I would have put Track 1 at the end, but to each his own. Anyway, this track tries to convince the listener that even though he's a rapper, the stigma associated with the business certainly isn't part of his repetroire. Not something we've never seen before, but the lyrics service it well.3) High Maintenance
Marijuana, baby. Weed is legal in Canada; flaunt what you can use, I suppose. It can't really decide whether it's a celebration of the "habit", or a dark introspective. Meh...? The lyrics are high-quality as always, but I dunno. I'm not against marijuana, believe me, but from the view of an American this does take me a bit aback. Of particular mention is the flute that flutters on at the end to lead us off.4) Unusual feat. Joe Budden
After the sample finishes its thing, we get Joe Budden starting off the song, and honestly he's quite impressive. Definitely reminds me a lot of Havoc, but shines through on this track. Classified joins in the middle over a nice shift in the beat. A definite dark tone though, much like Ups and Downs. Even so, Joe Budden amazes, Classified convinces, and the beat is quite excellent.5) Danger Bay
... This song is legitimately scary. Jesus. Classified is pissed, and the beat just adds to it with a rather powerful brass ... wait, Hurricane Katrina?! Suddenly 9/11? Um, Classified, you OK bud? The beat is absolutely fantastic, but you're almost afraid to bob your head to it because what you're hearing from the lyrics and the background voices are ... a bit dark, shall we say? Certainly not a happy reminder of Lupe Fiasco's song Words I Never Said, and when you're reminded of a song that starts off with "I think that the war on terror is a bunch of bullshit," then we might have an issue.6) Stay Cool
"Life is a crazy place, but I stay cool". You spent 3 minutes and 37 seconds telling us how we're f*cked up with what's going on in the world, and now this? Believe me, this song's great, but I'm starting to notice a bit of a strange pattern with how the tracks are ordered. Then again, I could be wrong, and especially with the "bridge" it could just be a response to [u]Danger Bay[/u] - PANIC MODE followed by "When you're on your last nerve, stay cool." I r teh confuse.7) Passion
"Can you feel that passion?" Um, yea, sorta! I take you back to Danger Bay - you displayed enough of it there! Anyway, we go onwards with a simple ditty about Classified's life, throwing in innocent double entendres every now and then. More awesome jazz-hop, of course, with a good set of brass and drums to carry us along. Honestly, probably my favorite song on this album so far.8) Maybe It's Just Me (feat. Brother Ali)
We drop a bit of the jazz-hop feel to go with a flute, string and heavy-percussion beat, as it builds over Classified rapping. Great beat, and Classified's lyrics, while not that special, have its moments. Brother Ali does rather well, and has a pretty awesome moment over the bridge as the beat builds up to a nice climax around him. Not a repeater, but a good song nonetheless.9) Young Soul
Great use of the sample; Classified feels like a part of his life has passed him by now that he's getting older (considering how long his career has gone on, 25 is approaching that stage). Nice little song, though seems a tad short.10) Run With Me
"I've got you fuckin' like the Vatican".... yeeeeeeoooookay. The quissential "charisma track", and it works for what it does. The lyrics flow well, even disregarding the above, but this isn't exactly a track you can blast with the parents nearby, naw'mean?11) The Day Doesn't Die
Skillful use of the sample throughout, and Classified puts a more positive spin on the track with this little ditty. Not much else to say about this; one of the stronger tracks on the album, for sure.12) They Don't Know (feat. Mic Boyd & White Mic)
A much more muted beat, and another track where Classified isn't entirely happy (though a lot more subtle than Danger Bay). And for some reason, there seems to be some anti-racism sentiment, especially from the featurettes. I don't know where the two guys are from, but I can't imagine Canada having the kinds of problems we used to with racism, outside of the whole Quebecois situation. Regardless, there's some nice moments throughout.13) Step it Up
Rapping for Dummies, for anyone who wanted to know. You wanted a positive song? You got it here, letting fledgling lyricists know how to get into the business, the difficulties they will probably face, and how to overcome 'em. Maybe it's just something with positive rap songs, but this really connects with me as well. The ending though.. the hell?14) Desensitized
Aw yea, we got some bass up in here now! Awesome intro. Lyricswise... sounds like someone misses their teenage years, ey, Class? And we get our bass back in the middle... God I love it so. This is the song that should have been at the beginning; if then Ups and Downs was at number 2 on the album, you would have gotten an energy-defusing moment that would have helped the flow. That's just my taste though; best beat on the album, probably, and the lyrics are solid.15) The Hangover feat. Kayo and Jim Cuddy
Ohmigod, that sample (during the chorus) is so familiar... what's it called again?! Been so goddamn long... interestingly enough, the two featurettes are more a part of the song than Class is, though mostly because the song has a lack of lyrics in the beginning and end.After Ejection: Conclusions
Incredible beat and sample work on this album; there's no denying that. The featurettes on these songs are also quite solid, and are very satisfying to listen to. That being said, the order of the songs, especially at the beginning are a bit jarring, and Danger Bay and to a lesser extent High Maintenance could have been taken off the album without lament. Still, if you want a bit of Canadian flavor in your rap collection, give this record a spin, see how you like it. Classified's one of the best lyricists in the game at the moment, and while there may be better starting points, this is not a bad album.
RATING: [ 8 / 10 ]
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