This one comes to us from my friend, Wes.
With that adorable hat, I'm expecting some Cookie Monster growls.
He's a solid guy, but I'm not sure about his musical tastes, we've never really delved in depth on music other than our friends' band, Vaudeville. And I have certainly never heard of Crossbreed. Don't tell me if this is a travesty or not, I will decide for myself.
I'm guessing this is metal, which is typically hit or miss for me, but seeing as how I am already two drinks in (Dr. Pepper and Ancient Age again, burns SO good!), I'm guessing I will be okay with whatever.
So, before I get too drunk, ON WITH THE REVIEW!
Album:
Alcohol:
Creepy voicing opens "Severed" along with some cool electronic beats. Cutting out and opening into hard hitting guitar and screaming. This then, drop outs to a driving albeit low key verse that I can dig thus far. The chorus comes back in, and it's nothing special. The guitars are a low point, but the drop out into an electronic interlude is really cool. I like the verses musch more--oh, it just opened up into a bridge-esque part, that while not vocally stunning is cool. Back into that chorus. Dropping out again with a drum build and some synth voicing in the background. Whispering growning. Waiting for the drop out... Called it! Haha. Sorry, predictable, but a good build. Driving into another chorus to end it.
Guitar line into drop out begins "Seasons" and I actually LOVE the whole opening sequence. This is much more fast paced. Lyrically, nothing is blowing me away, but the screaming is better than others I've heard. The singing leaves a lot to be desired, but the up and down dynamics are nice. I'm waiting to hear more than just up and downs. Build into the third chorus is nice. Electronics usage is really cool, but be careful of repetition. That siren at the end got annoying.
"Underlined" comes out strong with a drum fill intro and a definite rock crossover song. Best singing yet. But he pushes too much in the chorus. But I love the low key driving in the verses. It may be a taste thing, but give me something more than pwer chords when you open up. THe chorus cadence is cool. And this bridge has some metal groove to it. Most of my complaints are stylistic at this point (other than the vocals), but the movement and pacing of this album is nice so far, and they do a LOT of cool things with electronics. Something most industrial sounding hard rock/metal band miss the mark with too much. Drums are cool. I'm finding myself zeroing in on them a lot. Typicall metal ending, but good.
Electronics open up "Breathe". Really cool tension-y feel being created here. I can dig it. Waiting fo the drop out--oh, they go into the full drive instead of droping out. Kudos. Vocals are either getting better, or I"m getting drunker. Maybe both. Simple guitars accent the chorus, but I can dig it. It works with what they were doing here. Dropping back to the electronics that opened the song for the second verse, and into the chorus. More annoying rthe second time, but the out of the second chorus is cool. Into a trem-picked bridge/chorus that they should have used for the second chorus, but I can appreciate it here. Into a bridge build and a final chorus that is straight driving. and back to the original rendition of the chorus. Eh, I like it after two variations. dropping down to another build. And into the driving chorus again. Excellent song stucture here. I didn't think I'd like this tune, but they turned it around for me. Stong track.
"Pure Energy" opens with samples that I'm too drunk to listen to carefully, but the repeating "you must find strength" builds us into a really cool riff that drops into another lowkey but driving verse. They are doing some cool things, but a definite pattern is starting to emerge. If it weren't for the cool this electronicsally, I may have dismissed this band already. But they are keeping me interested. Dropping down into samples again. I like the creepy and tense atmospheere they create into the build, and it opens up with a the cool riff, but I'd like something more along with that. Driving end that was actually pretty cool.
Electronic beat moves us on to "Release Me". And synth builds us into a stop? Yes. Into another pretty cool metal riff. Dropping (AGAIN) into a lowkey, driving verse. And hard hitting chorus. The pacing has started to hit a wall. Still, these electronic interludes are really cool. Neat wah effect on the pretty-ish interlude. but that's really the most standout-ish part of this song. Drop out building with low, intese vocals electronics drop, and nice explosion, and really cool guitar tone, but I'm starting to be bogged down aby the sheer repettiveness of the vocals. Abrupt ending. Decent.
Static in to a farty guitar (mabye fuzz bass) line on "Machines". I like the riff, but the verses are rather abrasive. I appreciate what you are going for , but meh. THe chorus coming out of the secong verse isn't bad, but mostly, this LowLOW Hiiiiigh. Guitarline thing is getting old. Really old. DUN-DUN MEMEME. DUN-DUN MEMEME. Yeah, there have been more riffs that are just that than I can count thus far and we are 7 songs in?
"Painted Red" is the next track. It sopens with a building electronic beat. Drop out, and kick in. Keard this one already. Although, musically, I like whats going on. The growls accompanying the singin arent' doing you any favors. You know who was popular for doing that? Hawthorne Heights. Yeah, abnd now that bassist/growler is dead. See? It's badd for your health. But yeah, this song isn't bad. So much as I've heard everthing they are doing here already on the album, and they seem to just now be getting how to do it right. Burnt me out too fast guys. Also I'm drunk. Cool slow down ending. So you know...
"Stem" opens with cool industirall electronics. Starts driving and kicks in with a fast paced riff--AAAAND drop out to a lowkey, driving verse. Kicks into a chorus. I like what theyre doing with the vocals in the verses, but meh, I think I may have lost interest. Sorry, Wes, if you're reading. This just isn't my cup of tea. Oh, neat, a chug and stop bridge. Building with vocals, drop out, kick back into the chorus. THere are cool things happening, but the metal cliches are too quickly pililing up.
"Concentrate" is becoming hared to do,a nd it's the tenth song on this album. It sounds like, at least 4 of the previous tracks. Re read a few of those while I smoke...
"Regretful TImes" opens with another DUN-DUN MEMEME guitar line and in and out of one chorus, I don't thing they've played a different sort of guitar line yet. Still going. Like really. Its pretty crazy that something I made fun of earlier turned into a whole song here.
"Lost Souls" picks up where the previous track left off with ANOTHER DUN-DUN MEMEME riff. Verses give a Cobain-esque vocal performance which, I can commend, but yeah.. That chorus recycles the opening riff. Ugh. Might be drunk, but I think there is a slight out of sync vocal track in the chorus. Like a chorus effect, but I don't know if it was done on purpose. DUN-DUN MEMEME DUN DUN MEMEME DUN DUN MEMEME DUN DUN MEMEME DUN DUN MEME DUN DUN MEME DUN DUN MEMEME DUN DUN MEMEME DUN DUN MEMEM DUN DUN MEMEM DUN DUN MEME DUN DUN MEMEME DUN DUN MEMEME DUN DUN MEMEME... And so on...
Oh... That was it.
Final Thoughts:
DUN-DUN MEMEME! THere you've heard the album.
-Badhorse
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