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Three Days Grace - Life Starts Now Album Review

September 30th 2009 22:57

Release date: September 22, 2009

Genre: Rock

Length: 43:33

Label: Jive

Three years after their platinum sophomore effort One-X, Canadian band Three Days Grace is back with their third album titled Life Starts Now. Is it an improvement over their previous releases? Read on to find out.

The opening track, Bitter Taste, immediately shows a shift in Three Days Grace's sound. Although the heavy guitars are still there, the drumming feels a lot more sophisticated and worked on than on previous albums. This time around, the drums don't just stick to one pattern throughout the whole song. Instead, there are several variations in the rhythm which, combined with the guitar solo, make this song sound different than previous 3DG tracks.

The first single, Break, is closer to the Three Days Grace of old with Adam Gontier's unmistakable voice roaring over the instrumental. The prominent bass reminded me of their first single from One-X, “Animal I Have Become.”

Three Days Grace - "Break"
envoyé par jamiecat. - Regardez plus de clips, en HD !

Any other band performing World So Cold would make it sound like a ballad dealing with heartbreak, similar to the countless rock ballads that came out these past couple of years. In Three Days Grace's case however, World So Cold sounds like one of their signature angsty tracks in the vein of their debut single “I Hate Everything About You.” Despite the new sound instrument-wise (the guitars seem to be clearer on this track), Adam's raw voice is still at the core of Three Days Grace's sound, the constant thread linking all three albums.

With Lost In You, Three Days Grace truly take a step in a new direction. Where World So Cold still had that angsty sound to it, Lost In You is a full-fledged love ballad. At first it was weird to hear the full track without having Adam screaming on the chorus, but the song quickly grows on you. It's a calming respite from the heavy sound of the three previous tracks.

A high-tempo track, The Good Life returns the listener to 3DG's heavy sound. The song itself sounds like a cross between Three Days Grace's One-X single “Riot” and Nickelback's “Burn It To The Ground” from their Dark Horse album.

No More is another heavy track but here again there are glimpses of 3DG's new sound with an excellent guitar intro which continues in the background throughout the song.

Last To Know is a beautiful piano-driven ballad, the kind of song that I never expected to see Three Days Grace perform but it's excellent. The lyrics ring true and you can't help but feel a tinge of sadness once the song is over.

Someone Who Cares is another heavy track that is closer to 3DG's early sound. The guitars are loud, Adam's voice is powerful; truly an excellent track. The opening ten seconds reminded me of Coldplay's “Spies.”

Bully, Without You and Goin' Down all show that it's in the little things that Three Days Grace have improved the most. All three are relatively heavy tracks but each have something in particular that comes out. On Bully, the production is excellent. It especially shines during the break when the instrumental goes on a Linkin Park-esque stop-and-go rhythm. On Without You, it's the guitar solo that really pops out. Finally, Adam's singing on Goin' Down gives a horror movie-like vibe to the verses. The dichotomy between his smooth singing on the verses and downright screams on the chorus makes the song even more powerful.

After the epic Goin' Down, I was kinda disappointed with Life Starts Now, the final track of the album. It went too slow in my opinion and would've been better placed after Someone Who Cares, leaving Goin' Down to end the album with a bang.

Although Three Days Grace still have the angst that's always been present in their music, their overall sound has improved as they gave more intention to the little details such as the drumming, guitar solos and the structure of the instrumentals. Adam Gontier still roars but shows that he can also sing heartbreaking ballads such as Lost In You and Last To Know. I give Life Starts Now a 4/5. This album has shown that 3DG has a lot of potential. Each album release has shown an improvement in their sound and I think they can do even better.

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Rock

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Marilyn Manson - The High End Of Low Album Review

June 14th 2009 03:33

Release date: May 20, 2009

Genre: Glam rock, Alternative rock, Industrial metal

Length: 72:12

Label: Interscope

Two years after Eat Me, Drink Me, controversial rocker Marilyn Manson is back with his seventh album, The High End Of Low. The album debuted at #4 on the U.S. Billboard 200 but failed to stay in the Top 10 as it currently stands at #24, three weeks after its release.

Devour is the first song of the album. I was pretty surprised by it since the instrumental sounded a lot like Coldplay, but Manson's unique voice (and lyrics) gave the track a dark atmosphere that's far from Coldplay's image.

Pretty As A Swastika feels more like the old Marilyn Manson thanks to its industrial metal sound and controversial lyrics. One only has to look at the title to feel offended. In my mind, this is how Manson should sound like all the time. The sound in this track is quite different from Devour.

Leave A Scar is a rock track that is more intense than the slow Devour. I didn't find it all that great due to the lyrics that were a little bit too emo for my taste. With lines like “I'm just a painting that's still wet / If you touch me, I'll be smeared / You'll be stained / Stained for the rest of your life” and “Whatever doesn't kill you will leave a scar,” the song felt staged and created for a particular type of crowd.

Four Rusted Horses is another example of Manson trying to go in new directions. The military march-like drums and the Western-like guitar created a surprisingly good mix with his voice as he sang about death. The line “Forbidden in Heaven and useless in Hell” is the kind of brilliant writing that stays on your mind as you go on your daily business.

The first single, Arma-Goddamn-Motherfuckin-Ged don, is a catchy song despite the profanity-filled lyrics. The track is as infectious as “Mobscene” from The Golden Age Of Grotesque but its sound was more similar to Rammstein's “Bück Dich” from their Sehnsucht album.

Marilyn Manson - Arma Goddamn Motherfuckin Geddon [New]
envoyé par wonderful-life1989. - Clip, interview et concert.

Blank And White keeps the energy from Arma-Goddamn-Motherfuckin-Geddon and just runs with it. At first listen, this is probably the best song of the album, but I'd definitely change my mind after a couple of times. The lyrics are pretty ambiguous. Is he talking about politics, the music industry, or American society in general? I don't know. Perhaps someone can explain it to me.

Running To The Edge Of The World is a rock ballad in the purest sense of the term. Although I commend Marilyn Manson for trying something new, the song didn't really offer a proper continuation from the previous two. The acoustic guitar didn't go well with his singing either. This is the kind of music best reserved for bands like Nickelback and Matchbox Twenty. It has no place here.

I Want To Kill You Like They Do In The Movies is the perfect example of two positives creating a negative. The instrumental is excellent and Manson's singing rhythm is interesting in a good way, but the two just don't mix well. It felt like Manson was listening to another instrumental when he was recording his voice.

I don't quite know how to describe WOW. The instrumental has a Depeche Mode vibe and Manson doesn't really sing on it, more like talks in a rhythmic manner. It didn't impress me that much.

Wight Spider is one of those tracks that I just couldn't connect with. I tried to find something good in it, but my mind kept urging me to skip it. Marilyn Manson fans may dig it but I simply didn't enjoy it.

Unkillable Monster has the same problem as Running To The Edge Of The World. It feels out of place on a Marilyn Manson record. The track's theme is quite similar to Leave A Scar. After Arma-Goddamn-Motherfuckin-Geddon, I was looking forward to the rest of the album but with four tracks left, it seems clear that the first single along with Blank And White are the exceptions rather than the rule.

We continue on with We're From America which is a rather shallow song as its theme gets addressed in a very straightforward manner with lyrics like “We're from America / We don't kill our unborn / We need them to grow up and fight our wars.” Although the lyrics are interesting, they don't have much depth, plus the instrumental turned the song into a rave party kind of track. I'm pretty sure that any competent DJ getting his hands on this could turn it into a decent club song.

I Have To Look Up Just To See Hell is probably one of the best tracks of the album lyrics-wise. Although the theme gets repetitive – damaged/abusive love – this song feels more worked on. Manson's singing in the chorus was particularly excellent as the words blended seamlessly with the music. It's also where the album title gets mentioned for the first – and only – time.

Into The Fire is a piano-driven ballad – another experience for Manson. I think I'm going to be honest here. The problem isn't the music (the instrumental is excellent) nor is it the lyrics (which are also pretty good), Manson just doesn't have the kind of voice required for this kind of music. His fans will probably love this song - and I must admit that it was one of the best production on this album – but his voice just doesn't fit. And that's that.

The final song, aptly titled 15 for being the fifteenth track, is a decent song. Here again, the lyrics are great but the song isn't that impressive overall. It left me with a feeling of 'meh' as it signaled the end of the record.

In the end, I expected The High End Of Low to sound like it's first single but it turned out to be a compilation of rock ballads and alt-rock tunes. The album has its weak points lyrically but most songs are well-written. In a way it reminds me of Limp Bizkit's Results May Vary where they had decided to lose the nu-metal sound in favor for a more alternative sound. The critics ripped Results May Vary to shreds, I personally found it decent at best. I could say the same here for The High End Of Low. It's a decent album with good tracks and not-so-good tracks. I give it 3/5.

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Rock

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Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown Album Review

June 2nd 2009 01:56

Release date: May 15, 2009

Genre: Punk rock, Alternative rock

Length: 69:16

Label: Reprise

Five years after the hugely successful American Idiot, Green Day are back with another rock opera album titled 21st Century Breakdown. Divided into three acts, 21st Century Breakdown went straight to the U.S. Billboards' number one spot in its first week before being topped by Eminem's Relapse two weeks ago.

The album starts with a short into titled Song Of The Century. It's a one-minute track where Billy Joe Armstrong's voice seems to come out of a radio as the noise of static surrounds his singing.

The first act, Heroes And Cons, begins after Song Of The Century and contains six tracks. First, the title-track, 21st Century Breakdown, bridges the gap between American Idiot and this album. Its piano intro followed by the drums' entrance is reminiscent of the intro to “The Saints Are Coming” but the rest of the track has the exact same sound as American Idiot. As a matter of fact, this track in particular sounds a lot like “Jesus Of Surburbia” mainly because Billy Joe sings in the same melodic tone.

The second track of the first act is also the first single of the album. Titled Know Your Enemy, the song has the kind of energy that makes you want to jump up and break something. It's definitely the kind of song that will play in arenas all summer long.

In ¡Viva La Gloria!, the first verse only features a piano along with a violin to accompany the singing but the song turns high-tempo as soon as it hits the chorus. It's basically a track calling to revolution.

Before The Lobotomy is probably the first song that shows how Green Day's sound has subtly evolved. It starts out slow with great singing by Billy Joe then the full band pops in and out after every line from the first verse to finally erupt completely in the eighth verse. The song feels more like a classic rock track at the start then the usual pop-punk fare. Somehow Green Day successfully mixed both genre to create some sort of uber-pop-punk.

Christian's Inferno, a high-tempo song, brings Green Day back to the pop-punk sphere. There is nothing really memorable about this track save for the drums which sound a lot like The Go-Go's “We Got The Beat.”

Heroes And Cons concludes with Last Night On Earth, a piano-driven ballad that is probably the best song out of this act. Until this point, most of the songs were quite similar to those on American Idiot. Despite the great start of Before The Lobotomy, the song did end up sounding just like the others towards the end. Last Night On Earth is different as it stays on the same pace all the way to the end. I don't want to sound blasphemous but this was a very Beatles-esque kind of track. A beautiful song.

The second act, called Charlatans And Saints, also has six tracks and begins with East Jesus Nowhere, a medium-tempo song. It begins with someone messing around with a radio dial as we get to hear snippets of various radio stations and then the guitar kicks in with the main riff. Although the song isn't really extraordinary, something about it truly shows how they managed to improve their sound from American Idiot. I don't really know how to explain it. It might be the lyrics, it might be the neat bassline in the second verse, or just the way the song was produced overall; all I know is that it sounds sort of the same, but better. I know, it doesn't make any sense, but that's how I feel.

With its fast-paced acoustic guitar, Peacemaker sounds like a cross between a Mexican song and folk rock. It's one of the best track of the album.

The third track of the second act is Last Of The American Girls, a song where “the last of the American girls” is described. Like East Jesus Nowhere, there's nothing that really sets this track apart from the rest, yet it is still a pretty good song. There's also a sense of connection here as the ending goes right into the start of Murder City which is the next track. There's not much to say about Murder City. It's a high-tempo song, similar to the stuff in American Idiot.

¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl) follows Murder City. The first verse along with the instrumental in the beginning sounds a lot like My Chemical Romance's “Mama” from The Black Parade album, another rock opera record. The instrumental is excellent as it goes well with Billy Joe's singing and the guitar solo is pretty good. It's one of the best tracks of the album.

Restless Heart Syndrome brings Green Day out of the punk sphere and more into a rock/alternative frame thanks to the presence of a piano and an orchestra. Billy Joe delivers again on the songwriting and singing parts of the song. The ending is also great as the instrumental reaches a climax. After my first listen, I rated this one as a great track while I rated the previous one as a good track. Now, I prefer ¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl) but I'll probably change my mind after listening to them again. It goes to show how good this album is. It only gets better and better.

The final act, Horseshoes And Handgrenades, has only five songs but is probably the best part of the album. The high-tempo Horseshoes And Handgrenades starts off the third act with a bang. The instrumental sounds familiar but I can't quite place it. It sounds like the kind of song you would hear on a commercial but the first line - “I'm not f***ing around” - quickly takes that idea out of your head. This song is quite edgy and Billy Joe adds to it with the rage in his voice and some screaming towards the end.

The Static Age is another solid high-tempo track. Nothing really stands out apart from the great songwriting.

The second single of the album, 21 Guns, is probably my favorite track out of the eighteen songs. Like Last Night On Earth, this is more of a classic rock song than punk. Billy Joe's singing is great especially in the chorus where the title gets mentioned. The singing isn't the only thing working in this track. The instrumental is also great. The overall feel of this song is just perfect with a tight production that makes every note count. A superb song.

American Eulogy shares the same format as two songs in American Idiot - "Jesus Of Suburbia" and "Homecoming." Indeed, like those two songs, American Eulogy is actually split into two parts: "Mass Hysteria" and "Modern World." The track begins like Song Of The Century, the album's intro, only the lyrics are different. "Mass Hysteria"'s lyrics allude to several moments of crisis in the United States, namely Hurricane Katrina and the wildfires of California while "Modern World"'s lyrics clearly state “I don't wanna live in the modern world.”

The final track of the album is also one of its best. See The Light has a catchy melody and a good overall production.

All in all, 21st Century Breakdown is definitely a step forward from American Idiot. All the tracks are solid with little to no misses. Although the album is filled with the regular punk-pop fare that's been airing on the radio since Blink-182 came out with Enema Of The State and The Offspring with “Pretty Fly For A White Guy,” there are some great rock ballads on here that raise up the bar in terms of the album's quality. For me, it's definitely one of the best albums so far this year (that I've listened to). Every track fits well in the big picture and they're all entertaining. I give it 4.25 out of 5.

Note: We've been pretty quiet here on this site during these past few months, but we're slowly getting back into the groove of things. Alain will post the review of Method Man & Redman's Blackout! 2 sometime this week and next week we'll do another collab-review similar to what we did with Relapse. This time we'll review the Snowgoons' (a group of hip-hop DJs from Germany) latest titled A Fist In The Thought so stay tuned.

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Rock

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Papa Roach - Metamorphosis Album Review

May 2nd 2009 20:45

Release date: March 24, 2009

Genre: Alternative rock, Alternative metal, Hard rock, Post-hardcore

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The Fray - The Fray Album Review

March 17th 2009 02:31

Release date: Februrary 3, 2009

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Rock

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Blast From The Past Vol.6 – Part I: Metallica – Master Of Puppets Album Review

March 3rd 2009 05:34

It's been awhile since I posted something on this site. December and January are usually slow months in the music industry, and the few newly-released albums I had the time to listen to just didn't warrant a review from me especially when all of their tracks sounded the same and didn't appeal much to me. (I'm looking at you Fall Out Boy, All-American Rejects, and Hoobastank). I just couldn't get into any of these albums. So I've decided to make a fresh start with the sixth edition of Blast From The Past. March turned out to be a good month since Metallica's Master Of Puppets dropped this month. Since they're one of my favorite bands, I didn't need to look far for the motivation to write. I still don't know which album will be Part II. Right now, it's a toss-up between U2's Pop, Foreigner's self-titled album, and Nine Inch Nails' The Downwad Spiral. Alain should be working on a Part III, but I don't know what he's going to do - if he's doing anything at all. So, without further ado, here's Part I.