Post by jvandyck87 on May 26, 2011 18:15:12 GMT -5
This is a first impression track-by-track review I did over on Pulse Music Board:
First listen through the album starting now. Comments are train of thought while listening to the album.
"Shoot It Out" - This is the only song I've already heard going into this session. It's a solid and very likable first single that sounds radio-ready but also interesting enough that it deserves whatever success it attains. I really love the bridge, especially the harmonies. A-
"The Wicked Ones" - didn't stand out to me on first listen. I felt like I had to actively make myself pay attention and still didn't. I like the lyrics though. B
"Now Is The Time" - Strong opening riff. Does the chorus riff sound like Mudvayne - "Scream With Me" part II anyone? It better, because it's identical. Besides that though, I enjoyed listening to it and it probably would be among my favorites if it weren't for the "Scream With Me" riff stealing (this song is WAY better than "Scream With Me" anyway). A- penalized down to B+ because of riff-stealing
"One More Day" - First song to change the tempo, key, and instrumentation, which is a welcome change after three straight songs with a fairly similar feel. If they were a more established band, this song could be big, but I think it'd be risky as a second single. I don't like in the bridge that the strings exactly follow the guitars in parallel. Seems like a cop-out way of attempting epicness. The strings by themselves at the end also sound a bit too fake to be exposed like that. Overall a strong song. B+
"Fix Me" - There's a lot of hype for this one, so high expectations, especially given it was co-written by Dave Bassett who co-wrote some Shinedown hits as well as Sevendust - "Unraveling". Through the second chorus, and everything feels perfectly executed so far from a songwriting perspective. Musical events and melodic choices all feel really good. Awesome bridge and then the piano alone at the beginning of the last chorus and then it all comes back in...MONEY. The song has a great shape, and layers are added and subtracted as they should be. Repetition and form done well. Should be a shoe-in for their second single if you ask me. A
"Chasing The Rapture" - Cool title. I'm not a huge cut-time fan, and this song is not the exception to the rule for me. It's tough to follow "Fix Me" and they do a good job of surrounding "Fix Me" with two songs that are very different from it, but this just doesn't do it for me given my taste. I also hate at the end of the chorus when the vocal melody and guitar line are the same for a bunch of consecutive notes notes (just like the strings and guitars in the bridge of "One More Day"). The very ending is kinda cool, but overall not my type of song. B-
"Dead In The Water" - Second straight song to feel weirdly punk influenced for 10 Years. The backing vocals in the verse and cut-time chorus especially add to this feel. This has a weaker title, but overall is a much more interesting song to me than "Chasing The Rapture" and I like it a decent amount despite it not exactly being my style. This feels a bit like the "Actions & Motives" of this album. The closing riff has an interesting effect that adds to its heaviness. B
"Don't Fight It" - I don't know how I feel about this following the every four tracks is the acoustic ballad formula championed by Metallica. The chorus comes in very strong, but doesn't live up to how it enters. "One More Day" is a more interesting lighter melodic rock radio song to me. I like the instrumentation, but the drumming is a bit TOO boring for me to get into the song, which is VERY boring considering I'm a guitar player. The bridge makes some cool harmonic choices. I don't like the last chorus coming in with just the vocals in the context of this song. Considering this song is a dynamic level below the rest of the album anyway, going further in that direction doesn't have the surprise-factor that it's going for. B
"Waking Up The Ghost" - I like the shuffle beat on this song. It's essentially a very fast 6/8, which is something 10 Years hasn't done. The strings are surprising in this song because it isn't what would typically be considered epic and the juxtaposition of strings with this feel and the Talkbox guitar solo in the bridge are bridging two very different worlds. The clean low-octave entrance of the final chorus in THIS song is very effective unlike in "Don't Fight It". This rivals "Fix Me" for my favorite track on the album thus far. The strings at the very end still do sound fake as they're too exposed, but a small gripe for a very good song. A-
"Running In Place" - Everything before the chorus sounds like a mediocre bar-band. I like the chorus, but partly probably because the beat is VERY Sevendust...a lot of Sevendust choruses have that type of groove. It also has a very similar feel to the "Shoot It Out" chorus come to think of it. Too many songs in a row that have the clean drumless entrance to the final chorus. That formula, though very effective, looses it's power when too many songs on the album use it. C
"Fade Into (The Ocean)" - There's a lot to digest with this one. Given Tool is such a big influence of theirs, it's surprising to me that this is the only song on the album that flaunts any progressive elements, but the rhythms, riffs, textures, vocals, and just about everything are at their most intense, complex, and urgent on this song. This song has both the most beautiful and heavy moments of any song on the album. The ending is a bit abrupt for me after the way it's built up. This song isn't as flawless as "Fix Me" but its execution definitely lives up to the ambition. Another favorite. A
"Shoot It Out (Acoustic version)" - the chord voicings they change for the acoustic version and rhythmic changes in the hand percussion relative to the drumkit are really cool. The shoot-it-shoot-it-out refrain doesn't work as well in this song as the original but the rest of the song is treated well in this context. The beauty of the bridge which is easily my favorite part of the original song is only highlighted further in this version. Though I miss the stacked harmonies from the original in the bridge, the intimacy of Jesse's voice more than makes up for it. A-
"Fix Me (Acoustic version)" - I figured this would be good. It was. The addition of harmonics are especially nice on the acoustic guitars compared to on the electrics, and the different voicings of the chords again work very well. A
"Silhouette Of A Life" - I understand why this didn't make the album, especially with Universal's 10-track album rule, but this song has a very cool sound. The effects give the song a unique gloomy sound, and I respect that they choose to keep the song at a quiet dynamic level. B+
"I Blame You" - This song reminds me of a couple songs. It reminds me of the song Mark Wahlberg records in 'Rockstar' "We All Die Young" and some other song that I can't think of. Jesse has no sense of urgency singing in the low register. He sounds like he doesn't really care in the verses, but he really opens up in the choruses. I think this song should have made the album. Given the trend of bonus tracks becoming singles recently, this wouldn't be an awful pick by any means. But with "Fix Me" available, they'd better not. B+
Overall impressions: There were a lot of likable songs with a handful of tracks that either felt like filler or just not quite up my alley as well as a handful of real standout tracks. For a band that emulates Tool, I feel that they don't take enough risks, don't surprise me enough, and only on the strongest songs do they make up for it by having undeniable hooks or a sound all their own.
Standout tracks: "Fix Me" (both versions), "Fade Into (The Ocean)", "Waking Up The Ghost", "Shoot It Out" (both versions)
Rating: 3.5/5 (would be a 4/5 if they could cut out the two worst tracks and replace them with the two good bonus tracks, and make a 10-track album with two awesome acoustic bonus cuts. Would be a 3/5 without "Fix Me").
Since then, "Fade Into (The Ocean)" has passed "Fix Me" as my favorite song on the album. My overall impression and general impressions have stayed the same.
I was rounding to the nearest half-point, but if I continue doing these reviews, I will be rating every album to the nearest tenth of a point, which means I would give this...
Overall: 3.4/5
"Shoot It Out" - This is the only song I've already heard going into this session. It's a solid and very likable first single that sounds radio-ready but also interesting enough that it deserves whatever success it attains. I really love the bridge, especially the harmonies. A-
"The Wicked Ones" - didn't stand out to me on first listen. I felt like I had to actively make myself pay attention and still didn't. I like the lyrics though. B
"Now Is The Time" - Strong opening riff. Does the chorus riff sound like Mudvayne - "Scream With Me" part II anyone? It better, because it's identical. Besides that though, I enjoyed listening to it and it probably would be among my favorites if it weren't for the "Scream With Me" riff stealing (this song is WAY better than "Scream With Me" anyway). A- penalized down to B+ because of riff-stealing
"One More Day" - First song to change the tempo, key, and instrumentation, which is a welcome change after three straight songs with a fairly similar feel. If they were a more established band, this song could be big, but I think it'd be risky as a second single. I don't like in the bridge that the strings exactly follow the guitars in parallel. Seems like a cop-out way of attempting epicness. The strings by themselves at the end also sound a bit too fake to be exposed like that. Overall a strong song. B+
"Fix Me" - There's a lot of hype for this one, so high expectations, especially given it was co-written by Dave Bassett who co-wrote some Shinedown hits as well as Sevendust - "Unraveling". Through the second chorus, and everything feels perfectly executed so far from a songwriting perspective. Musical events and melodic choices all feel really good. Awesome bridge and then the piano alone at the beginning of the last chorus and then it all comes back in...MONEY. The song has a great shape, and layers are added and subtracted as they should be. Repetition and form done well. Should be a shoe-in for their second single if you ask me. A
"Chasing The Rapture" - Cool title. I'm not a huge cut-time fan, and this song is not the exception to the rule for me. It's tough to follow "Fix Me" and they do a good job of surrounding "Fix Me" with two songs that are very different from it, but this just doesn't do it for me given my taste. I also hate at the end of the chorus when the vocal melody and guitar line are the same for a bunch of consecutive notes notes (just like the strings and guitars in the bridge of "One More Day"). The very ending is kinda cool, but overall not my type of song. B-
"Dead In The Water" - Second straight song to feel weirdly punk influenced for 10 Years. The backing vocals in the verse and cut-time chorus especially add to this feel. This has a weaker title, but overall is a much more interesting song to me than "Chasing The Rapture" and I like it a decent amount despite it not exactly being my style. This feels a bit like the "Actions & Motives" of this album. The closing riff has an interesting effect that adds to its heaviness. B
"Don't Fight It" - I don't know how I feel about this following the every four tracks is the acoustic ballad formula championed by Metallica. The chorus comes in very strong, but doesn't live up to how it enters. "One More Day" is a more interesting lighter melodic rock radio song to me. I like the instrumentation, but the drumming is a bit TOO boring for me to get into the song, which is VERY boring considering I'm a guitar player. The bridge makes some cool harmonic choices. I don't like the last chorus coming in with just the vocals in the context of this song. Considering this song is a dynamic level below the rest of the album anyway, going further in that direction doesn't have the surprise-factor that it's going for. B
"Waking Up The Ghost" - I like the shuffle beat on this song. It's essentially a very fast 6/8, which is something 10 Years hasn't done. The strings are surprising in this song because it isn't what would typically be considered epic and the juxtaposition of strings with this feel and the Talkbox guitar solo in the bridge are bridging two very different worlds. The clean low-octave entrance of the final chorus in THIS song is very effective unlike in "Don't Fight It". This rivals "Fix Me" for my favorite track on the album thus far. The strings at the very end still do sound fake as they're too exposed, but a small gripe for a very good song. A-
"Running In Place" - Everything before the chorus sounds like a mediocre bar-band. I like the chorus, but partly probably because the beat is VERY Sevendust...a lot of Sevendust choruses have that type of groove. It also has a very similar feel to the "Shoot It Out" chorus come to think of it. Too many songs in a row that have the clean drumless entrance to the final chorus. That formula, though very effective, looses it's power when too many songs on the album use it. C
"Fade Into (The Ocean)" - There's a lot to digest with this one. Given Tool is such a big influence of theirs, it's surprising to me that this is the only song on the album that flaunts any progressive elements, but the rhythms, riffs, textures, vocals, and just about everything are at their most intense, complex, and urgent on this song. This song has both the most beautiful and heavy moments of any song on the album. The ending is a bit abrupt for me after the way it's built up. This song isn't as flawless as "Fix Me" but its execution definitely lives up to the ambition. Another favorite. A
"Shoot It Out (Acoustic version)" - the chord voicings they change for the acoustic version and rhythmic changes in the hand percussion relative to the drumkit are really cool. The shoot-it-shoot-it-out refrain doesn't work as well in this song as the original but the rest of the song is treated well in this context. The beauty of the bridge which is easily my favorite part of the original song is only highlighted further in this version. Though I miss the stacked harmonies from the original in the bridge, the intimacy of Jesse's voice more than makes up for it. A-
"Fix Me (Acoustic version)" - I figured this would be good. It was. The addition of harmonics are especially nice on the acoustic guitars compared to on the electrics, and the different voicings of the chords again work very well. A
"Silhouette Of A Life" - I understand why this didn't make the album, especially with Universal's 10-track album rule, but this song has a very cool sound. The effects give the song a unique gloomy sound, and I respect that they choose to keep the song at a quiet dynamic level. B+
"I Blame You" - This song reminds me of a couple songs. It reminds me of the song Mark Wahlberg records in 'Rockstar' "We All Die Young" and some other song that I can't think of. Jesse has no sense of urgency singing in the low register. He sounds like he doesn't really care in the verses, but he really opens up in the choruses. I think this song should have made the album. Given the trend of bonus tracks becoming singles recently, this wouldn't be an awful pick by any means. But with "Fix Me" available, they'd better not. B+
Overall impressions: There were a lot of likable songs with a handful of tracks that either felt like filler or just not quite up my alley as well as a handful of real standout tracks. For a band that emulates Tool, I feel that they don't take enough risks, don't surprise me enough, and only on the strongest songs do they make up for it by having undeniable hooks or a sound all their own.
Standout tracks: "Fix Me" (both versions), "Fade Into (The Ocean)", "Waking Up The Ghost", "Shoot It Out" (both versions)
Rating: 3.5/5 (would be a 4/5 if they could cut out the two worst tracks and replace them with the two good bonus tracks, and make a 10-track album with two awesome acoustic bonus cuts. Would be a 3/5 without "Fix Me").
Since then, "Fade Into (The Ocean)" has passed "Fix Me" as my favorite song on the album. My overall impression and general impressions have stayed the same.
I was rounding to the nearest half-point, but if I continue doing these reviews, I will be rating every album to the nearest tenth of a point, which means I would give this...
Overall: 3.4/5
