Over the years, Alter Bridge has grown to become one of the biggest mainstream rock acts. Guided by the otherworldly talents of singer Myles Kennedy and guitarist Mark Tremonti, the band has always showcased a diverse range of styles. With Blackbird, the band managed to craft a modern rock masterpiece. It was an album that found the band ditching their post-Creed stylings and forging their own identity. ABIII continues this trend and finds the band expanding on their formula, while still maintaining that distinct Alter Bridge sound. The result is effortlessly one of the best rock albums of the year.

One of the first things I noticed about the album was the number of tracks. Personally, I’m tired of 10-track albums and I’m happy to see that Alter Bridge has provided their fans 15 solid tracks of pure hard rock.  The opening track Slip Into The Void starts out quietly as it builds atmosphere and sets the stage for the band’s darkest album yet. The heavy low tuned riffs are a testament to this on the opening track. Mark Tremonti is inspiring to listen to throughout the album as he snakes in and out behind Kennedy’s incredible vocal range. The two are complementary. You’ll start to hang on Myles’ every word as you wait for Tremonti to unleash another solo or kick your teeth in with his unrelenting riffage.

The band has also uncovered the power of exercising restraint. The songs are well crafted and go for the jugular. However, the band doesn’t force the music. Instead, it’s designed to flow like a story with harmony and melody accenting the words that came before it. Dare I say it sounds like a concept record at time. For example, Ghost of Days Gone By is a sweet standout track because of the way it ebbs and flows with the musical changes. The music paints a contrasting image to the lyrics, which sound almost dark at times. It’s an interesting combination which works very well. By the end of the track you think you’ve heard more than one song exploring various styles. This doesn’t mean the band has gone soft. Tracks like All Hope Is Gone and Isolation are amongst the heaviest the band has ever written.  The songs can be brooding, dangerous and unforgiving. At the other end of the spectrum, the band is poignant and heartfelt with songs such as Coeur D’Alene and Wonderful Life. In short, every shade of Alter Bridge ever conceived is present on this album.

There is a possibility that some may find the album too long. Over repeated listens I found myself skipping over to the songs I enjoyed the most. Furthermore, the blueprints behind the songs become predictable. This isn’t a terrible thing, but the songs do lose a bit of their grandeur.

Still, the album itself is a pronounced expansion of style for the band. The band sounds masterful on every track and the individual elements are second to none. It might lack the sophistication of Blackbird, but it’s a well written and dynamic album replete with intense themes. I couldn’t recommend it enough.

Discuss the album here

FINAL RATING: 4/5

I have a confession to make: I skipped out on Maroon 5’s sophomore album. The lead singles failed to impress me and the music didn’t click with me as much as their first album did, which is one my favourite albums. However, the new single "Misery" has brought me back. The track is upbeat, hip, and features a dance beat. Altogether it sounds likes a step in the right direction for the band, and that brings a smile to my face. Featuring a hot girl in the music video also helps.

The tracks on the album fit well together. They all feature the patented synthesis of rock, pop, funk and soul that Maroon 5 have come to be associated with. None of the songs are terrible, but some are certainly more exciting than others. For instance, "Give A Little More" is heavy on the funk and brings Adam Levine’s stylised sensual vocals to the forefront. Suprisingly, the track sounds like a Quincy Jones produced Michael Jackson track. Spooky.  The next song, Stutter, continues to evoke such eerie feelings. It’s an upbeat summery love ballad. It sounds rooted in the eighties, but has a contemporary twist to it. It’s a fantastic track, and the band encapsulates the various feelings described within it perfectly.

"Never Gonna Leave This Bed" is one of the two slower songs on the album, and easily the best song on the album. It’s tender in its passion and Adam sings every word like he feels it. It’s reminiscent of their first album and feels classic, in a Maroon 5 manner. It’s not difficult to imagine this as a future single with a stellar video. The most interesting track on the album is probably the title track "Hands All Over". It finds the band exercising their harder rock elements, which I haven’t heard them do since "Harder To Breathe" became a massive hit. It’s a strip-club anthem and a welcome hiccup on an album full of relatively lighter and fusion oriented songs.

Overall, the album features exactly what I loved about Maroon 5 from their first album. The band have taken elements from their past work, polished the rough edges, and created a cracker of an album that is a joy to listen to from start to finish. It’s not perfect by any means, but the strengths easily outweigh the few negatives (e.g. weaker, boring tracks). It’s also not novel or challenging in any way, but it still brings a smile to your face. I highly recommend you get your hands all over this.

Check out the new video here

Discuss the album here

FINAL RATING: 3/5

The Script came as a welcome surprise to me back in 2008. The Irish trio crafted a debut album full of beautiful melodies and sing-along choruses. However, that album, although strong, had its drawbacks. Apart from the singles, the second half of the album was plagued with weak and forgettable tracks. The new album, Science & Faith, finds the band returning to confute the critics and prove that they’re more than just an overnight success story.

“You Won’t Feel a Thing” is an appropriate name for the opening tune of the album. It’s a general dose of anaesthesia, like laughing gas, to prepare you for the rest of the album. I don’t mean that in a derogatory sense. But, the album is replete with lyrics of love lost and chances exhausted. It might be too much “pain” for some listeners to deal with as lead singer Danny takes them on a whirlwind tour of his damaged heart and broken spirit. As a result, the opening track is the brightest sounding track on this collection and sounds like a U2 throwaway.  The first single “For the First Time” is indicative of this. It’s a poignant story of a couple trying to keep it together in these deplorable economic times. It’s similar in scope to the Bon Jovi classic “Livin’ on a Prayer”, and that’s a great compliment. The rest of the album continues its downward spiral through the singer’s bleak heart with tracks like Nothing, If You Ever Come Back and Science & Faith. The latter features a great beat and an infectious chorus, which builds to an even bigger crescendo. It would be my choice for the next single. The tracks “This Is Love” and “Walk Away” also feature the band’s proclivity to hip hop, with the former featuring a rap breakdown. It’s all very straightforward indie-pop-rock but sounds consistent throughout.

Still, it’s a relatively safe album and primed for heavy radio-play, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s still a competent record and improves upon their debut album in most aspects. However, I do miss the risks they took with their first album because the mish-mash of various styles is only available in limited quantities here. Moreover, it’s fairly predictable in content, but the band’s skill keeps things from drowning in the deep end of the lead singer’s turbulent lovelife. Overall, The Script have got their act down to a science with this album and you would be wise to show some faith in it.

Check out the new video here

Discuss the album here

FINAL RATING: 3/5

Last night, at a pub, I was enjoying a ginger ale, courtesy of a pretty girl, amongst friends, old and new. At some point during our conversation, we all started trading music and discussing our favourite books. Once I understood their musical tastes, I introduced them to “Hey Lady”. It was an instant hit. Their eyes were closed in empyrean bliss; their heads were swaying to the beat; and they were discovering new worlds through imagination. The power of music.

More appropriately, this is the power of Thriving Ivory. Every song tells a different story. They sing the words which you could never say. It’s music for the romantics. If you listen to Daughtry, Goo Goo Dolls or OneRepublic  then you know exactly what you’re in for.  Still, the band knows how to give every song its own identity and maintain their originality. They belong to an over-saturated genre, but never sound like a cliché. The apposite lyrics will bring a smile to your face. Meanwhile, the piano driven U2-like melodies and harmonies married with the lead singer’s Chris Martin-esque delivery always keep things interesting.

It’s also a step up from their debut album. The songs are much faster and grander in scope. Tracks like “Run” and “Motorcade” invoke feelings of freedom and just getting away from the world. “On your Side” and “While The Candle Still Burns” should appease the love-lorn out there. “Moonlight” is the kind of song you’d hear playing in the background as you walk across Manhattan Bridge on an autumn night. It’s music best enjoyed with an overactive imagination. Simply put, beautiful and mellifluous.

At the same time it’s still very commercial and generic pop-rock. I wouldn’t be surprised if the band finds themselves on a lot of soundtracks. But who cares. If you loved the band before, you’ll adore this album. If you’re new to them, you might be turned off by the predictability bestowed upon them by their genre. Overall, the fact remains that it is a fantastic feel-good record and totally worth wasting time on.

Discuss the album here

FINAL RATING: 5/5

“I came in the ring like a dog on a chain and I found out the underbelly is sicker than it seems. And it seems ugly, but it can get worse. Cos' even the blueprint is a gift and a curse, Cos' once you have the theory of how the thing works everybody wants the next thing to be just like the first. And I'm not a robot; I'm not a monkey…Y'all oughta stop talking, start tryin' to catch up mother****er.”

These are the lines from the opening verses of “When They Come For Me”.  It reads more like a statement of intent, and it’s a fitting description for the acute changes in style on display throughout “A Thousand Suns”.

Linkin Park promised their fans a “concept album” which would be more “experimental”, “cutting-edge” and would have an inherent “thread of consistency”. Let it be known that I’ve always adored Linkin Park and that I like to see bands challenge themselves. Therefore, I was determined to give this album the chance it deserves before I made my judgment. In fact, at the time of writing this, I’ve played the album front to back about twenty times. I’m sincerely tired of listening to it now.

Let me start by saying that there are only nine actual songs on the album. I’m sorry Linkin Park, but nine songs in three years are all that you could come up with? What’s more is that the segues do nothing to enhance the musical narrative of the album. Coupled with the brevity of the material, and the lack of impact of the actual songs, this album is an argument for piracy. As a reader you might think this is a mute point. However, as many fans, I prefer my music to be a complete package, from presentation to execution. I wouldn’t mind as much if they were the nine most powerful songs ever composed in human history, but that isn’t the case with this disc. Ok, I think my chest is a little lighter now.

The songs, in structure, are not bad. The production is excellent and the band have certainly incorporated a multitude of styles and inspirations into crafting a diverse album which is important to them. The vitality of their past albums is still present, albeit with a new paintjob. For example, in the aforementioned “When They Come for Me”, the band mixes Middle Eastern chants and rhythms with a beat that’s heavily flavored with spices from “Meteora”. “Wretches and Kings” is a synth heavy, industrialized, NIN-esque hip hop track. “The Catalyst” is essentially “What I’ve Done” part two infused with keyboards, electro-drums, and a dance club beat. Also,  I really enjoyed “Waiting for the End” for its old school LP sound and Mike’s Caribbean inflected rap.

Ok, the free ride is over. Did you notice how I only described songs which the band has already previewed in one form or another? I did this because they are the only songs that are worth listening to on the album. The rest of it is such a departure from what the band does best that it risks completely alienating fans. On songs like “Burning in the Skies” and “Iridescent” the band sounds like an electro-pop-rock clone of The Killers and Arcade Fire.”Blackout” is a disco-dance contrived schizophrenic mess which tries to mimic “Faint” and “Given Up” but fails miserably. “The Messenger” is particularly bad because it features nothing but Chester and an acoustic guitar. It’s a cringe worthy performance by someone I’ve always respected as a vocalist. I’m going to have to rethink my position on that now. To give you an idea of how bad this part of the album actually sounds, think back to when Chris Cornell produced that urban/hip-hop album with Timberland. Why did Rick Rubin sign off on this travesty?

The Linkin Park of old is barely recognizable. As I said before, I enjoy listening to bands challenge themselves. Although they’re not genre-bending by any stretch of the imagination, the four songs I described above are proof positive that the band managed to do something different and palatable with their identity. But why couldn’t they apply it to the other songs with similar efficacy? Also, I can’t even grasp the “concept” of the album, probably because there isn’t one. Linkin Park is not Pink Floyd. The songs on display here are too weak and shallow to conceptualize into anything more than a digital single accompanied by a performance video.  In terms of lyrical content, it deals with the same issues they’ve always sung about: sadness, frustration, anger, etc... This time around it sounds forced and insincere. Just listen to the laughably weak way in which Chester relates to the plight of every Hot Topic shopper on “The Messenger”. It’s been done so much better by other bands. Let that revelation sink in. Linkin Park sounds like a cheap imitation of other bands on this album. How the mighty have fallen. Moreover, since their last album they’ve donned the mask of pseudo new age artistic revolutionaries. It’s evident in their recent songs and videos. What kind of movement are they trying to foster? I don’t think Linkin Park will be performing in the middle of Wall Street anytime soon. I don’t even think the majority of their fans even know who the speakers in the interludes are.  The whole act is getting stale. It’s hardly revolutionary when you’re fooling die-hard fans into spending $10 for a four song album and then expect them to come to your show.

Overall, as a fan, I’m sorely disappointed. The album has shades of potency and could have been a welcome change. As a result, the blind faithful will sing its praises. I would contend that they’re fooling themselves. The album is weak throughout, from concept to completion. Most importantly, it does too many things wrong when it alienates fans to serve the egos of the band and panders to marketability and commercial success. 

Click here to watch the video for THE CATALYST

Discuss the album here and here

FINAL RATING: 2/5

- Stone Sour have returned with their third album, Audio Secrecy. Corey Taylor promised the fans an unbridled darker and more mature album, and that’s exactly what the band delivers. While not as devastating as their previous albums, Audio Secrecy finds the band expanding on their influences in interesting and catchy new ways.

The title track is a short mood-setting piano driven piece.  It’s certainly isn’t anything special and you’re welcome to skip it because the next three tracks find the band surging ahead on full force. Mission Statement, Digital and Say You’ll Haunt Me are heavy on melody with catchy choruses that will be stuck in your head long after the album is over. The songs are “lighter” than anything found on their previous albums, but I mean that in a good way. Think olive oil rather than deep fat fryer. In fact all the tracks on this 14 track juggernaut follow a similar recipe. The Bitter End is probably the only song which sounds like it belongs on their debut album. Still, all of them function on different levels and the band’s musicality comes across on each of them. However, a couple of the songs do sound like filler and the second half of the album bears the weight of the slower songs.

Having said that, there is still a lot of diversity present on the album. The band has grown collectively as musicians. Proof of this lies in the standout tracks Hesitate and Miracles. These tracks are unlike anything the band has done before. The former reminds me of Fall to Pieces by Velvet Revolver. It's almost pop rock but it's also an emotionally laden track with a deep seated positivity. Meanwhile, Miracles sounds like the lovechild of Ride by Cary Brothers and Snuff by Slipknot. Similar flourishes of genius are spread out all over the album and make the entire experience feel special. But the star of this album is Corey Taylor. He has never sounded better and his lyrics have never meant so much. Musically, Josh and Jim litter the album with muscular riffs and solos, while Shawn and Roy keep the pace up with a tight rhythm section.

So what’s the verdict? Well, Stone Sour have finally made the album they wanted to. They’ve figured out that they don’t need to be an offshoot of Slipknot. They’ve certainly expanded on the styles they established in their previous albums. As a result, they’re now in a place where they are comfortable. It might create a gulf between their fans, but the fact remains that it is an inspired collection of songs. Overall, the album might be called Audio Secrecy, but I can’t find a reason to keep this album a secret.  

-Discuss the album here:

FINAL RATING: 3.5/5

When I heard that 10 Years had hired Howard Benson to produce their new record I knew exactly where their new album was headed-mainstream. Now I don’t usually have a problem with bands bringing their music to a larger audience. Heck, I would love for the masses to embrace certain bands and shower them with the accolades they deserve. However, I hate it when a band severely compromises their style and sound for a shot at glory. 10 Years had me hooked the moment I hear Killing All That Holds You. Their music inspires me and their lyrics captivate me equally. Their debut album, The Autumn Effect, showed signs of a band that was miles ahead of their brethren in their delivery and the intricacy of their music. If Tool were an alternative metal band, then they would be 10 Years. Their sophomore effort, Division, was a step in the right direction and built on the strengths of its predecessor.  It had its weaknesses, but it was nice to see that the band was challenging itself in interesting ways.  With such a strong pedigree I was fearful that the band would fail to deliver on their third outing. So, does the band stick to its guns, or have they resigned themselves to the manufacturing process of Howard Benson Inc.? Well, yes and no.

Somewhere between Division and Feeding The Wolves, Matt Wantland was ejected from the band. It’s not my job to speculate, but when a band starts losing key members the sound tends to suffer-e.g. KoRn. I was surprised to see the disc only had 10 tracks on it. What’s more, they’re not all great. The opening salvo of Shoot It Out is a great opening track. The lead single gets you pumped up for the rest of the album. It’s not as complex as some of the band’s other songs but it hits hard with its shout along chorus and aggressive guitar work. The Wicked Ones resembles a mish mash of their first two albums. It has the aggressiveness found on Killing All That Holds You fused with the poignancy and cultured rhythms of The Autumn Effect. Jesse Hasek is on perfect and the rest of the band doesn’t dare miss a beat. It includes another shout along chorus interspersed with screaming and thrashy guitars. Simple and effective. Now Is The Time’s chorus sounds like something Papa Roach (another Howard Benson product) would sing as part of their recent metamorphosis. It harkens back to the heights of the late 90s “nu-metal” era. It’s a good song but just sounds stale coming from a band of this calibre.

The next two tracks show the listener what 10 Years is all about. One More Day is a mid-tempo song similar to their song Seasons to Cycle, because of its ubiquitous acoustic guitars and strings. Still, it maintains a fresh perspective with its hook laden chorus and aggressive, but soulful, guitars.  Fix Me is a personal favourite. This is the second strongest song on the album. It just exudes confidence in its musicality and lyrics. It transmits it’s message directly to your soul and spreads rapidly through your system like an infection. An expertly arranged chorus with just the right amount of guitars to balance it all out. Fantastic song.

The next few songs find the band flirting with the edge of mediocrity. Chasing The Rapture, Dead In The Water and Waking Up The Ghost are typical straight up rock songs. There isn’t much imagination in these songs, save for the lyrics and delivery. They sound dated and don’t offer anything new to the listener. The ballad Don’t Fight It could be classified as a follow up to the band’s all acoustic ballad So Long, Goodbye. It’s catchy a tune with a lot of melody and thoughtful lyrics. However, the closing track, Fade Into, is everything a true 10 Years fan has been waiting for. Earlier I compared the band to an Alt. Metal Tool, and this is where they live up to it. The dark and sombre dynamics of the first album return as the band changes up the song more times than Lady Gaga changes hairstyles. The highlight of the song is the halfway mark where it transforms into an entirely different type of song. It’s easily the best track on the album and superior to anything on their album Division.

And just like that the album was over. It wasn’t what I expected. It certainly wasn’t the “heavy” album the band promised. Seriously, who goes to Howard Benson to produce a heavy album? I can’t fault the band for trying to reach out to a larger audience to extend their longevity. However, I still find myself wishing for the band to return to its strengths and not compromise them. Don’t get me wrong, the album is very enjoyable. But, you won’t get the same mileage out of it as their debut. Personally, I feel that someone like Brendan O’Brien, Ross Robinson or Johnny K would have served their sound a lot better in the studio. These producers have been known to cultivate the sound of a band and realise it in fresh new ways. The band is still technically proficient and Jesse solidifies his reputation of having one of the best voices in rock today. Yet, the album feels lacking because there is a certain degree of artistry absent. Overall, I think the strengths that are on display through this album will surely satiate the masses. Here’s to another ten years.

FINAL RATING: 3/5

I want you to think back to mathematics class. Yes, that girl sitting across from you was pretty. No, she wasn’t into you.  Now think about all those formulas you were forced to remember when you could just write them on the back of your calculator. However you chose to deal with them, those formulas were a roadmap to answers you thought you would never find when confronted with the harsh reality of an exam paper.  If you applied them correctly, then you would succeed in finding the answers. If you still couldn’t find your way to the answer...then you should’ve pulled the fire alarm. Anyway, I digress. What I’m trying to point out is that music is a lot like those mathematical formulas. Once you have the right one you’ll find all your answers. This little trick is exactly what the Goo Goo Dolls have figured out. They’re probably good at maths as well.

The ageless Goo Goo Dolls have returned with their 9th studio album Something For The Rest Of Us. It’s a fairly straightforward record which is mellifluous in its simplicity. You won’t find the band going off on a tangent and embracing their experimental side. They’ve been doing this for over two decades and don’t have anything to prove. They’re well aware of what their fans want, and that’s exactly what they offer up. Ceratinly, the new album ticks all the right boxes when it comes to being commercially viable and radio friendly. 

The album comes alive with Sweetest Lie. It’s an upbeat track which gets rid of the filthy taste of their last album. The song has a U2 feel to it with its Edge like guitars and Bono-esque chants in the chorus. As I Am is interesting because reminds me of Gutterflower’s darker tones. At the same time, it blends the positivity hidden in songs like Name and Black Balloon. Home, the lead single, is all over the radio so i’m not going to go into it too much. The band still knows how to write a monstrous single and this song is just an example of their expert songwriting skills. I especially like the out of line solo which, literally speaking goes off on a completely different chord. Not Broken is a slow song similar to Better Days in the way it rises and falls from verse to chorus. The last minute introduces chunky overdrive guitars to take the song to the finish line in a big way. From here on all the songs sung by Rzeznik follow the same rituals. John’s soulful voice steals the scene on all the songs and helps them rise above the usual clichés the band sings about.  Basically, It’s nothing different but it’s still refreshing after all these years. 

It wouldn’t be a Goo Goo Dolls album without Robby making his presence felt. He easily has the two best songs on the album. They’re both enjoyable and are road ready songs. Now I Hear finds Johnny playing some fabulous guitar licks reminiscent of their Dizzy Up The Girl days. Still, it doesn’t quite measure up to Robby’s infectious vocals. I still can’t get the chorus out of my head.  If I was driving down a sunny coastal highway, this would be my song. Say You’re Free is another hit by Robby. It brings together the pace of Tucked Away and imagery of Listen from Robby’s other songs.

     
   
So, it's another by the numbers album from the Goo Goo Dolls. Do I hate it? Yes. Do I love it? Yes. The thing is that I know exactly what I want from a Goo Goo Dolls album. The band never fails to impress. Their longevity is proof of their success. Did you know they’ve been around as long as Bon Jovi? Just like their New Jersey neighbours the band offers their fans a fix like no other. Like their influences U2,Bon Jovi and Springteen, the Dolls are a  blue collar band. They sing about life and what you and I go through every day. Sure, it can make the songs sound tired and clichéd, but then again so are most of our lives. The music remains insightful, endearing and carries a positive message. The album is hit and miss, but I can live with that. It's certainly head and shoulders above Let Love In. It’s everything I've come to expect from a Goo Goo Dolls album and no fan will be disappointed. Overall, it’s honest music from the heart, for the heart.

Final Rating: 4/5

The new Filter album is finally here. Chances are that if you’re reading this, then you already know Filter and want to get right to the review. If you’re unaware of the musical brilliance of Richard Patrick, then you go here: http://www.rock-and-pop.com/sell-my-music/Filter/audio.php 

All caught up? Good, Now, I cut to the chase and tell you what The Trouble with Angels really is.

The collection explodes into life with The Inevitable Relapse. If you’ve been following the band, then you’ve already heard/downloaded this single. It’s a swift kick to your nuts courtesy off a reenergized Richard Patrick, possibly followed by a snarky one liner. The drums tear up the track like artillery on a battlefield, while Rob Patterson creates a tornado like epicentre for this mosh pit anthem.  Drug Boy features down tuned industrial-esque guitars which wouldn’t feel out of place in a high speed getaway car. The chorus paints a nice contrast since the rest of the song is unrelenting as it tries to destroy your hearing. I mean that, in a good way.  I thought Absentee Father might be about Richard’s own paternal issues. I may not understand the inspiration behind the track, but god do I love the way it changes up. It starts out like a bat out of hell, slows down, and then Richard brings it back to take it to an entirely different level. It keeps doing this until the last section, where Richard and the band just go fucking mental. No Love is my personal favourite. Probably because it’s not too complicated, and it might be the most straightforward track on the album. It features soft verses, a sing along chorus, and some very brutish guitars. It’s a likely candidate for the next single.

Time for a breather. No Re-Entry finds Filter re-visiting (see what I did there?) their Take My Picture days. It’s a calming song which is heavily textured. It’s Dali-esque surreal and drowning in emotion. The electronics are an inspired addition and really add another layer to the song. It fits well within the album and breaks the monotony of the heavier tracks. Down With Me continues the albums trend of offering up unapologetic hard rock. Richard and the band take no prisoners here. The song sounds a little clichéd because it isn’t anything you haven’t heard before. Still, Richard and the band make it their own and keep it interesting enough so that it doesn’t weigh the album down. Catch a Falling Knife is like a marriage between American Cliche and Hey Man, Nice Shot. The guitars are constantly lurking in the background before pouncing on the listener with the chorus. The track leaves you beaten to the floor as the band keeps the assault up.  Cue the religious overtones! The title track is replete with them. Still, it’s not as suffocating as anything on the politically driven Anthems for the Damned.  It’s a brilliant track which follows a similar execution to the previous track. Cloudsis another generic track which really didn’t do much for me. It’s not a filler track, but it’s starting to all sound a bit familiar now. The final track is the one I had been waiting to hear. Sadly, it left me heartbroken. This version of Fades Like a Photograph doesn’t hold a candle to the original that played at the end of 2012. The original was mesmerising and quickly became a favourite. I urge you to YouTube the original because the album version feels like a tacked on remix and feels hollow. A disappointing end to an otherwise stellar album.

The deluxe edition features 5 bonus tracks. The remix of The Inevitable Relapse sounds like Celldweller came up with it.  Shot from the Sun should have been on the album because it’s heavy, noisy and leaves you feeling like you got punched in the gut. Drowning sounds like a sequel to No Re-Entry. My Life Before would have been the perfect closer for the album. It’s a powerful song which is dreamy and cathartic, but still leaves you sweating like you just experienced a nightmare.  Finally, Plume reminds me of Miss Blue and would have made a nice addition to the album. It’s light on the vocals and heavy on electronics and textures. It would be your soundtrack if you knew how to ride a cloud in the sky. It's euphoric and has that "coming back to life" kind of feeling.

The Trouble with Angels is a nice return to the Filter we all love. No one can expect them to return to the sound of Short Bus because that was born out of Nine Inch Nails and involved drugs and booze. Still, Richard Patrick manages to incorporate a lot from the band’s discography. Certainly, Title of Record and The Amalgamut are heavy influences on the sound of this album. However, at times the tracks start to sound the same. But, the album is long over before that becomes a bother. Aside from the closing track couldn’t find anything I disliked. The album is all about rocking out and having a good time, while possibly dealing with certain demons. I love it, and so will you. Go get it now!

Final Rating : 4.5/5

I’ve been a loyal fan to Korn ever since I heard the cymbals on the now classic Blind back in 1994. However, I think I’ve run out of chances to give to the band. The new album just leaves me feeling empty. I hate it when bands you grow up with start to go downhill and are caught in a slump they can’t seem to find a way out of.

Korn is in the exact same slump. Ever since Take a Look in the Mirror the band has been lost. III is the meant to signify a return to Korn’s roots. That’s all fine and dandy. This is the album which should have followed their debut, hell it could have been their debut. But at this moment in time, Korn just sounds tired and lacks the creative zest which accompanied all of their previous efforts.

Remember Who You Are starts out promisingly enough. “Oildale”,” Pop a Pill” and “Fear” are fantastic tracks. The change ups and the ferocity are identifiably the work of Ross Robinson. From here, the album descends into a wall of noise, and not the good kind. Everything sounds muddled, unrefined and haphazardly stitched together. I’m aware that the band spoke heavily about how they wanted it to be raw and cathartic but this is not what I expected.  Listening to the album front to back just goes to show how stale it is. There are good songs but nothing memorable.  The lyrics are mediocre and the “I’m in pain” metaphors sound rehearsed and insincere. The middle of “Are You Ready To Live?”, Jon is clearly trying to channel the breakdown of “Daddy, just sounds laughable. I don’t think I even understood anything in “Lead the Parade”. “The Past” is a hidden gem and “Never Around” has a few good moments. Overall, the album just sounds like Korn was producing a demo in 1993. It’s lacking the maturity I’d expect a band of their calibre to have. At least their previous “experimental” album, which also wasn’t great, showed that this was a band that was not afraid to move forward in different ways.

I really wanted to give this album a chance. In fact, I went back and listened to the entire discography and charted a course through the ups and downs of the band’s evolution in the hopes that I would find the end result more palatable and aurally pleasing. Sadly, that didn’t happen. All it made me realise was “Damn, this band used to be really good”. Don’t get me wrong, Munky and Fieldy can still pound out the riffs and low end rhythms like they were recording Follow the Leader. Jon Davis’s voice control is impeccable and still amazes me to this day. Ray Luzier is no David Silveria but he’ll do, and I’m not speaking in technical terms.  And I think this is the problem. Without Head and David the band is lost. They were both principal players and helped to forge out the reputation of Korn. Just go back and listen to TALINTM and then listen to See You On The Other Side. The drop in quality is obvious, and that was only missing one member. The Untitled effort had two missing members and was an exercise in futility.  Bringing on different players for every album is the equivalent of switching deck chairs on the Titanic. This ship is sinking. The groove, darkness and primal spirit of the band is heavily bruised.

    
In closing, I didn’t enjoy the album. I expected so much more and was let down heavily. But I’ll keep hope alive that the next Korn album will be a return to form. I’m not asking for a sequel to any of their albums, but I would like a true representation of Korn’s maturation and music which incorporates the best qualities of their past efforts. Fingers crossed then.

Final Rating: 2.5/5

As a rule, I avoid festivals like the plague. The last one I attended was Woodstock ’99, and we all know how that one ended. I just lack the commitment, time, effort and devotion that a festival requires, a character flaw the women in my life would not hesitate to point out. Arenas just sound better, and I hate standing out in the sun-yes, I HATE summer. However, a twist of fate landed me at Glastonbury and now I’m a believer. It was a spectacle that I will not forget anytime soon.

I definitely give Glastonbury props for attracting a lot of money. The site was an attack on the senses as kaleidoscopes of colour clashed with LSD-inspired creations. Paintings, from artists both amateur and professional, adorned anything that could be painted. A sea of tents, lights, and flags resembled something out of a Roland Emmerich disaster movie, with the remnants of humanity flocking to Glastonbury to preserve the culture of a world left drastically altered. Ok, maybe that last one is a bit much. But I came to realize that Glastonbury is a place where imagination runs wild and shines as bright as the sun blessing the festival. It’s a place where you come to shed your troubles, woes, insecurities and clothes. There was an almost unfathomable amount of shops, theatre, comedy, eccentricities, food, drinks and, of course, music on offer over the course of the festival. Mind you, this is all new to me and I was already hooked. But, like a new relationship, I feared that the initial joy and excitement wouldn’t last long. It didn’t.

The music on the first day did little to impress me. I didn’t even know a single band on that roster. I blame my overwhelming interest in music from across the pond. I did find many of the names amusing. Disappointed, I thought I’d check out the rest of the 1,000 acre site and make some new friends. I did. I won’t give her name out here, but she was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes upon. Let’s call her Girl X. Girl X laughed at me when I told her I was a festival virgin and I was only here because my editor wanted some festival coverage. She took pity on me and offered me her seasoned reassurance that she would look after me. We quickly became “friends” and Girl X was my guide for the remainder of the festival. The following days got much better. I didn’t stray too far from the Pyramid Stage because that’s where the best entertainment was. The Gorillaz were phenomenal, while Snoop Dogg was the coolest blinged out cat on the stage. On the “Other Stage”, Joshua Radin took his simplistic folk-pop-rock style to a whole new level. Even Muse, who I detest, impressed me with the sheer professionalism of their performance. The youthful Kylie Minogue made a bland Scissor Sisters set bearable, Jack White killed it with The Dead Weather, and The Editors did their best impression of The Smiths. Overall, Slash, Stevie Wonder, Pet Shop Boys and Coheed and Cambria set themselves apart from the rest. But why didn’t I enjoy myself?

There was simply too much going on and too few things that I truly wanted to see. My preferred genres were not represented well enough but that’s understandable. I’m more interested in the music and, for the most part, it was dismal. Still, I am an outsider to the thousands of devoted people that make the pilgrimage to Glastonbury each year, like Girl X. However, I was thankful for the company and enjoyed the downtime. For one man it’s a monumental task. This is something you experience with your closest friends so you can talk about it ten years later. And I did manage carve out some memories for myself. I met interesting new people, we did crazy things, we shared experiences, and Girl X invited me into her tent.

Ultimately, there is no way I can be unfair to Glastonbury. I could see the enjoyment all around me. There was genuine merriment and solidarity on display. Truly, there was something for everyone on display. To the faithful this is a religion. Like any religion it has its flaws. At the same time, they’ve learnt to look past these flaws and concentrate on the peace of mind and the subliminal spirituality hidden behind the experience. Maybe I should try to see it their way. I’d like to think that I do now. It was a surreal, mesmerising and inspiring experience. Looking back on it, I would do it again with better preparation and a genuine sense of excitement. I invite you to join me.