Worst To Best - All Linkin Park Albums Ranked

Those of you who knew me in lower secondary will know that I loved Linkin Park to death. Linkin Park was my first major favourite band; it was the most refreshing thing to listen to on the radio then, especially with the heavy airplay of "In The End" on the local radios. I followed down the nu-metal path, listening to Korn, Slipknot and eventually my first real metal band, Slayer. Linkin Park is in shambles today and I thought it would be fun to arrange the albums according to my own preferences. Here you go:

7. Minutes To Midnight (2007, DR6 on CD/mp3, DR9 on vinyl)

The worst LP album, Minutes completely abandons the band's signature sound from it's first three albums for a completely uninspired, derivative work with songs going all over the place in terms of style- which isn't the issue. The problem is that the songs were so poorly written and executed; "Given Up" has nothing other than a 17 second long scream which isn't even properly sustained, "Leave Out All The Rest" is one of the few hints of the band's later direction and features Chester Bennington at his most nasal (especially with the extra autotune). Mike Shinoda is barely present and when he does rap, it sounds ridiculously stale on "Bleed It Out" and "Hands Held High" (what were they even thinking when they recorded that song). "Shadow Of The Day" sounds like a U2 B-side, and that's not even a good thing. "No More Sorrow" is a joke of a song, revealing how out of touch the band was with the heavy metal community. In their older songs, the duality of Bennington's child-like vocals and his harsh screams were a huge factor in the band's success. Here, the band thinks he can handle manly, baritone choruses on top of a psuedo-metal anthem. "In Between" is another completely uncharacteristic song, with such little crescendo in the chorus that the song barely peaks and sounds like a lullaby all the way. On top of that, it's sung by Shinoda, who sounds like he hasn't slept in years. "In Pieces" is somehow even worse than its predecessor, with Bennington thinking emotions are more intensified over a simplistic, pop tune.

With so much wrong with the album, it might be easy to overlook a couple of gems. "What I've Done" stands out as one of the band's best works, I might be alone in this, but "Valentine's Day" is actually quite effective in its execution, with a quiet, intimate first half that ultimately comes out to a generic rock ballad sound at the end, but it's not a bad song. "The Little Things Gives You Away" has a decent first half, before some generic and weak guitar solo. "No Roads Left" is a good song that actually uses Shinoda's sleepy vocals well. I have no idea why it's a bonus song.

Rick Rubin is on production on this album and his characteristic overcompression is prevalent in the songs. If you can find an uncompressed version floating around somewhere it would be slightly better for your ears, though you honestly aren't missing out on a lot of details in the sound if you stick to a CD or mp3 rip.

A massive disappointment following the release of  the stand-alone single, "QWERTY", which was actually one of their best songs.

6. The Hunting Party (2014, DR5 on CD/mp3, DR14 on BrickwallHater Remaster)

The latest Linkin Park album is a complete slap in the face to older fans, who were promised a return to roots by Linkin Park, only to be presented with a poorly written, garage rock album with hideous production, tired riffs and even more whiny vocals. The band has toured with so many rock bands that they probably assume they are part of the hard rock scene, and they completely miss the point. This album is devoid of any keyboards or electronic sounds, sounds that made they first two albums edgy and refreshing from the rest of the crowd.

After overcompensating on the electronic front in the albums prior to this, it probably seems symmetrical for Linkin Park to do the same with their "rock" sound. On top of that, guests on the album sound completely out of place. Tom Morello's contribution on "Drawbar" is the biggest waste of 3 minutes in the band's entire discography. I am not even kidding.

I put this album before Minutes only because drummer Rob Bourdon seems to be putting a little effort this time, and songs like "Keys To The Kingdom" and "War" aren't bad, but otherwise I am quite indifferent to the bottom three albums on this list.

5. Living Things (2012, DR5 on CD/mp3, DR8 on vinyl)

The band's sixth album is marginally better than Minutes and The Hunting Party, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a good album. This album has only gotten worse with age, as the band seems comfortable with their new semi-pop genre tag. "Burn It Down", "I'll Be Gone", "Skin To Bone" and "Until It Breaks" feature so much electronica and autotune that they actually sound the same at many points. That last song features such a strange progression that it could be mistaken for two seperate songs.

However, not all is lost. While still being poppy and full of synthetic sounds, "Lost In The Echo" and "In My Remains" are pretty decent songs because they really follow the Hybrid Theory formula, with angry rapped verses and catchy hooks in the chorus. Furthermore, the nice, piercing screams are back in "Lies Greed Misery" (a song that caught me off guard, in a good way) and "Victimized", possibly the heaviest song the band has ever done. There's even a slight country influence in "Castle Of Glass" and "Roads Untraveled". The latter isn't a good song but "Castle Of Glass" actually shows some growth in the band's musical direction, albeit a limited one.

The final song, "Powerless" features all the trademarks of a good Linkin Park song- wailing vocals, acapella in a well-built crescendo. It's not even their best effort, but it did make me think Linkin Park was off in the right direction, until they put out the piece of shit The Hunting Party.

4. Meteora (2003, DR6 on CD/mp3, DR8 on vinyl)

Meteora is a carbon copy of Hybrid Theory- well, almost. Repeating everything that make them successful isn't necessarily a bad thing, as fans would learn the hard way when they completely change their style, but the songs on Meteora sound fresh even today. On top of the basic rap-scream formula, Meteora showcases a degree of confidence by a band that shot to fame overnight, a confidence that allowed them to put out a song as retarded as "Nobody's Listening" without anyone losing their minds.

Still, every other song here is worth checking out, and have incredible staying power. Beyond the usual nu-metal fare, the band even dabbles in dance music with "Breaking The Habit", which is one of the best songs that group has ever done. "From The Inside", "Somewhere I Belong" and "Numb" have moments of tenderness and vulnerability, a very important part of the band that they seem to have forgotten as they earn their millions today. The band also seems to understand that they aren't metal, but flirt with the genre quite nicely on "Don't Stay", "Hit The Floor" and "Faint", which are upbeat but not overbearingly loud. "Figure .09" and "Lying From You" otherwise continue the traditions from the band's debut album, while "Session" is probably the only thing worthwhile written by the band's DJ, Mr Hahn.

It's a great album, with outstanding vocals, great guitar tone that really mask the incompetence of the musicians and anthemic choruses that sound just as good today as they did 12 years ago. It's the fourth best album because it doesn;t really change anything from the band's signature sound.

3. Reanimation (2002, DR7 on CD/mp3, DR11 on vinyl)

Haha, why the hell is a remix album counted as a normal album? It's one of their longest albums so I'm sure that counts. But more importantly, Reanimation is one of the few remix albums that actually really build on the original.

Sure, there are countless duds like "P5hng Me A*wy", "Plc.4 Mie Hæd" and "Wth>You" which sound almost exactly the same as the originals plus more reverb, but every other song reinterprets Hybrid Theory in really interesting ways.

"Pts. OF. Athrty" and "Enth E ND" are very rap-heavy or electronic versions of the originals, and they don't sound bad. Songs like "Frgt/10", "Ppr:Kut", "Rnw@y" and especially "My<Dsmbr" have a great degree of intimacy and, I daresay, sound a lot darker than their originals. "1Stp Klosr" and "Krwlng" sound very different from their originals, and use a lot of atmosphere to give the album a really, grand, epic ending.

2. Hybrid Theory (2000, DR5 on CD/mp3, DR10 on vinyl)

You don't need to read anything about this album. If you haven't heard this album, please educate yourself. You are probably just wondering why this album is number 2. So just scroll down.

Seriously though, if you haven't heard a single song off this album, where have you been? Every song is a classic. It's the  highest selling album of the 21st century. Seriously, why haven't you heard it?

1. A Thousand Suns (2010, DR7 on CD/mp3, DR10 on vinyl)

Now, this album isn't here simply for the sake of generating controversy, though I might already be too late to prevent that. This album is honestly the best Linkin Park album, and often overlooked because it came right after Minutes To Midnight. The band made the mistake of releasing a shortened version of "The Catalyst" as the first single, so people immediately dismissed the album. It's a pity because not only is the song good, it's also a lot better when heard in context of the album.

This album has a really good flow, and listening to the songs in chronology actually makes a lot of the songs sound better than when heard alone. It's a concept album with a post-apocalyptic setting, the only time the band has ever strayed away from their typical angsty teenager themes. There's maturity not just in the sound, but also in the lyrics. The band reinvents its own rap-rock style, not once, but thrice in "When They Come For Me", "Waiting For The End" and "Wretches & Kings", with tribal drums, reggae and gangsta rap respectively. This is the only time you will ever hear variety from Shinoda. "Burning In The Skies" actually manages to sound upbeat despite its solemn lyrics. There's fantastic screaming on "Blackout", which ends off in an unusually melodic part with great synthetic effects and harmonizing vocals from both Shinoda and Bennington. "Iridescent" could have been a Coldplay song, but I will forgive the band for playing melodramatic pop this once. "Robot Boy" is a criminally underrated song that displays Bennington at his smoothest, and album closer "The Messenger" comes as a complete shock with its simplicity, and is another highlight of Bennington's vocals. Yet, it is the single, "The Catalyst", that remains the best track of the album. With a brief intro in "Fallout", the extended version on the album shows Linkin Park in a rare angle- commanding, confident and visceral. There's a sense of urgency in the verses, and the song collapses in the second half, a great progression from the first half that feels natural and logical. It's the climax of a great, varied album.

The entire album drips with a bittersweet atmosphere (really great production by Shinoda), something that seems to have flown over the heads of both fans and critics. Most people saw a band that betrayed their older fans, but I saw a group of young men finally making mature, creative music. It's honestly a real shame that the band took the backlash to this album to heart and never came back to this style, going for a safer, radio-friendly approach these days.

Ghost - Meliora Review

Ghost - Meliora [Occult Rock]

Ghost have returned with their third album. Having followed them since their debut Opus Eponymous, I'm happy to say that this third album is a great mix of the more metal-tinged debut and their ABBA-influenced sophomore record, Infestissumam. In fact, I will go on a limp and say that this is the best album from Ghost yet.

Getting production out of the way first, the sound is overly compressed as usual, but the mix is actually pretty good. Bass is super thick and punchy, synth is subtle and layered without being too overly cheesy (as was in Infestissumam), the drums are actually pretty loud and thunderous without being too overly aggressive. The band is still incredibly accessible, this is metal / rock that even the radio-listening layman would find himself humming along too.

There is almost no bad song on the album. Some tracks do feel weak, especially when coming up after relatively stronger tracks like "He Is" and "Absolution", but this is subjective since my favourite tracks on this album seems to differ greatly from what the fans seem to love. The track "Mummy Dust" for example, is commonly cited as one of the best songs on the album, along with closer "Deus In Absentia". However I found the preceding tracks, "He Is" and "Absolution" to be the better tracks on this album. There isn't much to break down here, because Ghost's biggest draw is their simplicity. True, the costumes and theatrics are the gimmicks that draw people to their music in the first place. but their songs are truly no-bullshit anthems. Thumpy bass, gigantic choruses with great hooks on the aforementioned two tracks and many more; "From The Pinnacle To The Pit", "Cirice" and "Majesty" contain great sing-along choruses. The album has two short instrumentals, "Spoksonat" and "Devil Church". These two instrumentals aren't filler at all, and actually do create some depth and atmosphere for their succeeding tracks.

I want to draw further attention to the track "He Is". The acoustic guitars and piano aren't exactly new additions to the band's arsenal, but the song is quite possibly the best song on the album. It's a passionately written hymn to Dīs Pater, the Roman God of the underworld (more than likely an allusion to Lucifer). It's similar to the track "Monstrance Clock" off Infestissumam, it's tender and deeply melodic, and parodies Christian gospel songs. What makes Ghost different from the other metal bands is their earnestness in these odes, without trying to mock Christians. This sort of genuine adoration for Luciferianism has been missing from the scene, with most bands interpreting Luciferianism as a direct confrontation of Christianity. I was personally blown away by the track, there is nothing technical in the instruments or the writing. It's just a love letter to Lucifer, and that's why I have always found this band refreshing.





That's rare, a widely hyped band releasing a widely hyped album that actually lives up. Hail Satan.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Future Islands - Singles Review

Future Islands - Singles [Synth-Pop]

Here's a band that shot to fame with their performance of 'Seasons' on the Letterman show, and it's not surprising to see why. Samuel T. Herring reams with energy and passion on every word he belts out, so much so that the sudden death metal vocals he executes near the end of the song don't sound that out of place (ha, now that's something that should challenge metal bands!). I've been listening to this album repeatedly since its release in April and I have to say it's one of the better pop albums of the year.

I won't go through song by song since most of the songs follow the same pattern. The other band members, keyboardist Gerrit Welmers  and guitarist William Cashion don't actually do all that much to stand out. Herring is the man who carries the entire album through, elevating otherwise cheesy lyrics (though not terrible) with his theatrics and confidence. Arresting moments like that screams on 'Falling From Grace' are the ones that make this album.

Sound-wise, it's at a mediocre DR5, again pretty strange for an otherwise minimalist album. Since Herring's voice is the centre of attention, there isn't much else to add. The synth sounds are pretty well done in my opinion.

On a side note, I really must find more things to say on non-metal albums. This has been a great pop album that I am sure other metalheads may love.

★★★★☆

Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways Review

Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways [Rock]

The cover art to "Sonic Highways" (seen above) is laden with information about the album's background. The distinctive '8' figure in the middle represents two things: firstly, that "Sonic Highways" is Foo Fighters' eighth studio album and secondly, that each of the eight individual tracks was recorded in a different city. The city-scape seen here is an amalgamation of the eight cities in which the band did recording work for the album.

Frontman Dave Grohl explained this move as being aimed at allowing the band to draw inspiration and creative input from each of the different cities. According to him, the idea was for each track to contain features of each city's 'style' while simultaneously retaining the classic, guitar-heavy Foo Fighters sound that fans and critics alike have grown familiar with. The presence of guest artists on every single track appears to accord with this idea.

A track-by-track analysis will reveal if the band succeeded in its aim:

1. Something From Nothing (Chicago, Illinois): The album opens on a sour note. The first few lines set the tone for what turns out to be an extremely bland grunge number. I'm not sure what element of Chicago the band was trying to channel here - if anything, the band might as well have recorded this track in the UK, given that the main riff to this song is an unapologetic rip-off of the one in 'Holy Diver' by Dio.

2. The Feast And The Famine (Arlington, Virginia): This piece is more typical of the 'classic' Foo Fighters sound; it starts off with a lightly overdriven guitar hook, bursts into a rather louder verse section and is punctuated by Grohl's trademark raspy chorus-ending yells. However, it lacks the punch that made many of the band's earlier singles memorable.

3. Congregation (Nashville, Tennessee): This is the first track which immediately gives away what sound the band was trying for (if not the exact city in which the band recorded). The song opens nicely, with a country-rock feel, but falls flat around halfway through. All momentum is lost in the brief and totally random musical interlude in the middle, and Grohl's subsequent screams of "No false hope!" do more to provide irony than to save the song.

4. What Did I Do, God As My Witness (Austin, Texas): More country-rock here - it is clear from the first few tracks that this is the most comfortable 'new' territory for the band. Further, unlike 'Congregation', the softer ballad section in the middle complements the rollicking opening fairly nicely. The song is probably about 1 1/2 minutes longer than it needs to be, though - the ending bit adds nothing to the song at all.

5. Outside (Los Angeles, Calfornia): Replace the guitar hook in 'The Feast And The Famine' with a bass intro, change the key and take away Grohl's screams and you get 'Outside'. This is another track in which the opening makes the listener anticipate an all-time great Foo Fighters number and the chorus kills any such anticipation with certainty and finality.

6. In The Clear (New Orleans, Louisiana): New Orleans is considered as one of the cities responsible for the early development of jazz. The track notes list The Preservation Hall Jazz Band as guest artists on this piece. Unfortunately, this piece turns out merely average and has no hint of jazz in it. Worse still, the sounds of the Jazz Band's wind instruments are shunted to the back end of the mix. This track is not bad in and of itself, but disappoints considering the range of possibilities that having a jazz band around could have brought about.

7. Subterranean (Seattle, Washington): This drab, ho-hum number is comfortably the worst track on the album. Ben Gibbard's backing vocals add nothing to the track.

8. I Am A River (New York, New York): The album concludes with its longest track, a draggy piece with lyrics clearly inspired by the Taylor Swift manual of lyricism ("I ... I ... I am a river" - really now?). Grohl's voice is in fine form on this track, but it is wasted on thoughtless lyrics and an overall extremely flat and lifeless musical setting which is not helped one bit by the presence of a string ensemble.

Overall, the album comes across as more like a collection of hastily-assembled ideas rather than a coherent whole; how so many of the songs start well and then careen into uninspired endings is evidence of this. There is an eclectic mix of guest artists, but their individual and collective impact on this album is negligible - one wonders whether the band roped them in just because it could or the guest artists bugged the band into giving them featured credits.

This has to count as one of the band's blandest and most disappointing releases. 

Rating: 1.5/5

Linkin Park - The Hunting Party Review

Linkin Park - The Hunting Party [Rock]

That's an awesome cover, btw

I was a huge LP fan in my younger days so I will try my best to be impartial. Being too defensive of this band is one thing, but on the flip side, we have too many people (possibly guilty of liking a band like this) giving the band far too much hate, and that isn't impartial either.

Opinions on a song-by-song basis:

1. Keys To The Kingdom - The first song had me convinced I was listening to a fake copy of the album at first, kicks off with a heavily distorted scream. Thought at first that this was an attempt to mask the obvious decline in Chester's voice, but he goes off without effects when the chorus kicks in again. Rob Bourdon's drums and Dave Farrell's bass are surprisingly well produced for a commercial record. Overall, one of Linkin Park's best songs in their discography. Chester sounds absolutely vicious here.
2. All For Nothing - Second song features Page Hamilton from Helmet on vocals. Not the greatest collaboration, seeing that his voice has a ton of autotune, but I guess the song would sound a lot worse with Mike Shinoda or Chester on the chorus. Mid-paced hard rock song, not too bad, not too interesting anyway.
3. Guilty All The Same - this one features Rakim on rap verses. A strange song, with an unnecessarily long introduction without much variation that leads to a very uninspired main riff. Again, Rob Bourdon seems to be the only band member taking this direction seriously. Piano led verse seems weirdly juxtaposed against a guitar-driven chorus, and Rakim's part seems forced onto the song.
4. The Summoning - A curious interlude that strangely channels the atmospheric vibes of their album A Thousand Suns.
5. War - A surprisingly great punk song; fast, catchy and aggressive. Lots of screaming, and Chester actually sounds good here again. Nice drums all around. So far the second good song. I will admit that this song caught me off guard, and give me hope for a punk direction with Linkin Park.
6. Wastelands - Great groove-oriented introduction, Mike's rapped verse sounds decent, before going off to one of the worst choruses on the album. What were they thinking when they did this song?
7. Until It's Gone - That one pop song on the album that serves no purpose other than to be the lead single and get airplay on the radio. Really cheap, but it actually sounds not too bad this deep in the album. It's also quite clever that they released their softest song to mislead public expectations.
8. Rebellion - I talked about this on my Facebook page, where the audio given by the band's youtube page sounded terribly mixed. This happens to be a Youtube issue, the production's not too bad here. Song starts off with Daron Malakian on guitars (hell, why is System Of A Down not back yet?!). He easily pulls up the collective musical talent of the group here. The verses are not too bad, but Chester's voice sounds terribly nasal on the chorus, which destroys what could have been one of the better songs on the album. His scream also sounds terribly recorded, it lacks the power that the earlier songs  here had. My guess is that this was one of the first songs to bi mixed and then they forgot to come back and remix this. Again, this song sounds better when heard in context of the album.
9. Mark The Graves - Another curious song, that has an interesting introduction, that builds momentum before completely disintegrating to an atmospheric ballad, and I actually thought it was a pretty fluid transition. There is however, one riff that is completely out of place here, you will know when you hear it. Song ends with another set of really well executed screams, and it becomes a good song for that alone. Count: three.
10. Drawbar - An interlude that features Tom Morello. At least that's one the liner notes say but neither the interlude nor Morello exist. They could have done some Rage Against The Machine shit (again, another great guitarist from another disbanded alternative rock band). I believe this is my third time saying this, but Rob Bourdon sounds like the only one dedicated here. A chessy introduction for the next ballad.
11. Final Masquerade - Actually not too bad a ballad, sounds better than Until It's Gone anyway. Chester sounds great here. So that's four good songs.
12. A Line In The Sand: An absolute killer of an album closer, because it actually kills the album. Guitars and drums shamelessly rip off their older song 'Victimized' (WHY?!). Song has completely no flow fickle mindedly jumping the fence between rock and pop, and a terrible choice of an album closer. Chorus is basically the same as 'Guilty All The Same' (WHY?!). Mike Shinoda is completely out of place, lyrically and musically.

From an album perspective, there are some serious flaws with the album. The first being Brad Delson having completely zero skill or interest in being a guitarist. It's "guitar-driven" but the pilot is meandering without confidence. The second is an uneven mix, which may be a lot more forgiveable since this is the band's first indie production. The third problem is Chester's vocals, which sometimes sounds like it was recorded after a live gig (they might have recorded on the road). As mentioned earlier, he sounded great in some songs, so am not completely sure if it's production or tiredness. My final point may be very biased, but the band does not seem to understand that it's rise to success was due to their great balance of rock and electronics. The latter is sorely lacking here, and this the dullest album ever released by the band. The only breaks in monotony here are the segues between each song, a technique that might have been inspired by Eminem's earlier recordings, and they sorta give a weird sense of urgency between the songs (hence why certain songs sounded better here than they did as stand alone singles). It's a bold but shabby album, but one that shows that the band is far from dead. Just that they haven't quite hit the nail on the last four albums. A by-product of experimentation? We will see.

★★☆☆☆

Adrenaline Mob - Men of Honor Review

Adrenaline Mob - Men of Honor [Hard Rock]

Fans who listened to Adrenaline Mob's last studio album Omerta would have already gotten used to the idea that a band featuring one of progressive metal's most recognizable figures - vocalist Russell Allen - would not be playing anything resembling music of that sort.

Unsurprisingly, Men of Honor continues largely in the same vein as Omerta. 

The first few seconds of the opening track, "Mob Is Back", give away everything that will happen throughout the rest of the record. Debutant drummer A.J. Pero's fills mesh with some heavily-effected leads by guitarist Mike Orlando before leading into the song's main riff, which is a chugger more along the lines of Motley Crue or late Pantera than, say, Symphony X.

The lyrics to "Mob Is Back" scream straightforward, in-your-face anthemic rock. Trite as it sounds, these songs were clearly written not for the tech-heads but instead for a more casual audience.

There are even acoustic tracks on this album - an example being the above song, "Crystal Clear", which, perhaps not unexpectedly, is a love song. Allen's power and versatility really shine through on this track (tired lyrics notwithstanding); the space that the clean guitar and understated drumming afford Allen really lets him work his entire (still very impressive) range. 

Indeed, Allen's star shines the brightest throughout the album. Though the effort required of him here is negligible compared to even the average Symphony X production, the quality of his delivery does not flag and is frankly quite delightful to listen to in this sort of setting (if he had sold out and re-packaged himself as a mainstream, Daughtry-esque performer, imagine how much dough he would be raking in).

Pero (of Twisted Sister fame, among other bands) is simply taking it easy here, beating the hell out of his kit and not trying anything too complex (not the worst way for a drummer in his mid-fifties to pick up more cheques).

Perhaps the weakest link on the album, musically speaking, is Orlando. Although his "Zakk Wylde version 2.0" lead playing is perhaps appropriate given the style of this album, one would think that if he had more diverse chops to show, he would have taken the opportunity to show them, given that this is after all his highest-profile project to date. I finished the album with my expectations largely met save for the guitar work. Here's hoping that if these guys continue to produce albums, they make it a point to showcase Orlando more (if he has anything more to show).

★★★☆☆ Average - Half of album is listenable

Megadeth - Super Collider Review

Megadeth - Super Collider [Hard Rock]

The new Megadeth album is not even a thrash metal release.


The entire album chugs at mid-tempo with Dave Mustaine trying his best to sound like David Draiman (who also stars in the song 'Dance In The Rain' and 'Forget to Remember'), despite age and vocal limitations. They aren't memorable riffs, as the emphasis on the album is radio-friendly rock. I will talk about good things first: the album has possibly the best production Megadeth has had in their career. The bass and drums are very pronounced and the highs and mids of the guitars sound clear and clean.


The problem now, is that the vocals are pushed all the way to the front. Dave Mustaine's vocals. Conversely, David Draiman sounds like his voice was recorded by an iPhone on 'Dance In The Rain', what the intention was I will never know. 'Don't Turn Your Back...' is possibly the fastest song on this album, for fans who like the thrash metal element of Megadeth.


This album is a commercial album. The songs are so tame and lack anger that it is hilarious, painful to listen to. Chris Broderick's solos are forgettable finger exercises that execute speed but completely lack emotion. He drops a solo on every song and the worst part is that they don't even fit in with the new friendly rock sound (think 80s hard rock with the motivational lyrics and nonsense solos). One of the songs even feature a goddamn banjo ('The Blackest Crow'). Dave Mustaine is on his worst ego trip on this album, singing alongside Bon Jovi riffs. Shawn Drover is having the time of his life playing slow, simple rhythms. The album's only saving grace, is David Ellefson's bass. It loud and groovy, but who can honestly shut out the rest of the music and isolate the bass?

This album is mediocre at best. Megadeth's reformation peaked at Endgame, which wasn't even a complete success with half the album as filler. The album is too slow, and that itself isn't the problem, but Megadeth can't pull off slow, melodic songs. Definitely not with Dave Mustaine's vocals. If you like this album, you're better off just listening to 90s arena rock, because that's certainly better than this rubbish. Just listen to the Thin Lizzy cover, 'Cold Sweat'. It's the only good song on the album (and it wasn't written by them)

★☆☆☆☆

Ghost B.C - Infestissumam Review

Ghost B.C - Infestissumam [Occult Rock / Pop]

The follow up to 2010's massive debut, Opus Eponymous, is a bit disappointing.




The group's debut was an eclectic mix of early black metal (think Mercyful Fate) and Sabbath-style doom / occult riffs. Still anonymous, lead singer Papa Emeritus II definitely sounds like a younger Kind Diamond and the infectious grooves of Opus haven't gone stale in three years since inception. This of course got the band to superstardom with a lot of press from Decibel and recently because their initial album art for this album was deemed too offensive by retailers, hence postponing album sales. Whatever the gimmick, nothing matters more than the actual music, which isn't fully delivered here.


If you ever were a fan of the band, you may still like this album. Or you may not. Having listened to this album for the last month or so, I am still divided on my opinion of the album. The sound is definitely more polished and crisp, perhaps so much so that the music sounds like a pop album. Not that that is a bad thing, but the result is an album that lacks the balls of the debut. Add to that the fact that the songs are more vague and complex as opposed to short and straightforward catchy. There are still a few hooks here: the brilliant 'Year Zero' and excellent closer 'Monstrance Clock' are clearly inspired by the band's catalogue.

On the other hand, you have long unwanted songs like 'Ghuleh - Zombie Queen', a song that starts off with an almost alternative rock crooning and piano before suddenly venturing into some 70s rock segment with elements of swing and organs (with a few seconds of doom rock in an insufficient scream). The idea is not dull but the execution comes out as clumsily handled, and the lack of hooks make the some seem longer than it actually is. 'Body And Blood' doesn't come off as memorable either, with its nonchalant verses and glacial pace. Lead single 'Secular Haze' isn't as instantly accessible as, say, 'Ritual', but it does show the band's shift to pop ambition. 'Per Aspera Ad Inferi' sounds too similar to 'Con Clavi Con Dio' off opus, without being as catchy or arresting, especially because it is the heaviest song on Infestissumam but doesn't juggle the contrasting styles well, abruptly shifting from heavy doom rock riffing to a synthesizer-driven chorus.

Much like Baroness' Yellow & Green, the band has definitely focused on their strength; pop accessibility, whilst forsaking the hybrid factor that propelled them to fame. It's by no means a bad album, but one that doesn't do the band justice. Do check this out if you like 70s inspired occult rock though. Or if you didn;t like this check out Jess And The Ancient Ones or Orchid.

★★★☆☆ Average - Half of album is listenable

Device - Device Review

Device - Device [Exactly-the-same-as-Disturbed 'Industrial']

As to why David Draiman would put Disturbed on hiatus to create a band and make an album that sounds exactly like Disturbed simply confuses me.

Right off the bat; the sound is so slow and chugging it's infuriating. David Draiman tries to do soulful melodic singing, but it's dry and flat. Sadly, he screams less on this album, not a surprise since he has stopped screaming since Disturbed's The Sickness.  The guitar sound is weak from Geno Lenardo, its boring and uninpsired as hell.

There are special guests on record, but most sound forced and failed. Serj Tankian, one of my favourite childhood singers, sounds COMPLETELY out of place on 'Out Of Line' and the bass from Terry Butler doesn't do anything to save the song. The only time Serj Tankian sounds interesting is when he does background vocals towards the end of the song (and on a side-note, Serj you still sound good). Lzzy Hale guests on the Ozzy Osbourne cover 'Close My Eyes' and ironically enough, Draiman sounds better than her. Tom Morello's guitar solo on 'Opinion' is all but a few seconds long but worth the entire song itself. Weirdly enough, the best vocal contributions here were Glen Hughes (though like Serj, the contrast between his high voice and the music didn't really work out) and more surprisingly, M. Shadows on 'Haze'. His baritone goes perfectly hand in hand with the low pitched guitar and he provides one of the few interesting moments on this album.

Other than that? None of the songs are actually memorable. David Draiman's song-writing is unbelievably blunt and pathetic, with almost every chorus having the same uplifting tune as that from Disturbed's older song 'Stricken'. I have always thought of him as a monotonous singer (because, past his gorgeous tone, his vocal range is a joke) and this album does nothing to change my opinion. Talk about a major flop. Also, David Draiman assumes that whatever he does on this album is industrial.




This is industrial. Device is not. To quote Metalsucks.net:




Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Fall Out Boy - Save Rock And Roll Review

Fall Out Boy - Save Rock And Roll [It's actually blatant pop]

It's hard to take an album seriously when its title is itself a self-parody. That itself reflects on how the band wants you to take their album - as fun, light entertainment. Nevermind that the main hook off 'Death Valley' is a direct derivative from 'Moves Like Jagger', or that Courtney Love's spoken rant that kick starts 'Rat A Tat' sounds more like a joke than some attempt at punk (or that the actual song is completely irrelevant to her), or Elton John's pathetic four line part on the last song (and thank the gods when I realised it was ending). This album isn't so much music than it is a bunch of Top 40 songs made by band members who decided to end their hiatus once the flow in banks starts to slow to a drip.


Also, if you feel the album is unrelentingly long, you are definitely not imagining it- all the hooks are generic and the songwriting is simple. A lot of the choruses are peppered with "Whooaaa"s to try and accentuate the hook. The London Symphonic Orchestra sounds pitifully weak even on my largest atmospheric cans, and it is used as a backdrop on the first and last song, a cheesy way to bookend the album. The art is also soooo deeeppppp only true FOB fans can understand (apparently means the monk is the band's old days and the modern boy is the band's new direction). Big Sean's contribution to 'The Mighty Fall' is as useless as a white crayon.

There isn't a lot I can complain about the album. The production is plastic, it's lacking identity and it's a sellout. There isn't much to expect from commercial artistes anyway. It's only saving grace is Patrick Stump's tremendously improved vocals. I think it warrants a no star, but since it was more bearable than the Paramore album, I will award it one star.

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Paramore - Paramore Review

Paramore - Paramore [I-am-so-indie pop]

How the mighty have fallen indeed.

I will confess immediately that I have never experienced the appeal that many have succumbed to when listening to this band, but back then, I assumed it was just a matter of taste. Now, about a 100 reviews into this blog (yeah!!11!), I believe it cannot be a matter of taste. Whilst the band's previous outputs were relatively harmless, with what pop-rock sensibility and hooks they had, the latest self-titled is a serious test of patience and tolerance. At least they had a punk-ish vibe that suggested youthfulness back then, the latest output is plastic and soul-less.

That is hideous make-up. The soul-less look would foreshadow the lack of music in this album.

The lead single 'Now' is a serious cause for concern and showed the band aggressively pushing towards a mainstream pop sound, and the chorus 'Now-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ahhhh' with its overproduced vocals and autotune is a far cry from the once more respected female vocalists in the pop-rock realm (yeah there are tons more better female vocalist than her). The departure of Josh and Zac Farro and their seemingly dubious message about Paramore now being 'a manufactured product of a major-label' is instantly felt in the album.

Songs move in and out in vapid fashion, with no song actually taking up your memory after it has finished. Hooks are mostly absent. The influence of multi-instrumentalist Ilan Rubin on drums may have given the band the dangerous confidence to play styles which they cannot exactly pin down. Yes it is a mixed bag, but a bunch of good songs played earnestly is always a lot better than a plethora of styles which are not within your grasp, as Heyley William demonstrates on this album, with either underwhelming dull vocals or over the top autotune on songs like the lead single, the gospel breakdown of 'Ain't It Fun' (and its cringeworthy lyrics "Don’t go cryin’ to yo’ mama, ‘cuz yo’ on yo’ own in the real world"), the sleep-inducing, aptly titled 'Daydreaming'... in fact nearly every song is a disastrous Katy Perry imitation.

Add to this boredom the inclusion of three segues literally called 'Interlude...'. Why do you need three interludes for a pop rock album? All three have hints of gospel with Hayley spewing forth unmemorable lyrics over a barely audible banjo, cheesy as hell, with the worst being the last, titled 'I'm Not Angry Anymore', and its lyrics are literally just that for almost a minute. Why would a commercial band attempt anything this stupid? Interludes work extremely well when well written and integrated- listen to Korn's 1999 album Issues, it is rife with eerie psychotic rhythms and transitory vocals and really bridge the songs as well as create a tense atmosphere.

I do not know what is the downfall of this band, whether they are trying the 'experimental' route since that is the 'cool' thing to do nowadays, or if its the departure of the Farro brothers, or whatever it is. Commercial critics are lavishing praise upon this album blindly, seeing that most of them are musically illiterate and have little exposure to underground music anyways. If you loved Paramore before, be wary, this album may make you reconsider your feelings for the band. If you were never a fan, congratulations! Here is another reason to stay away from this band.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

The Strokes - Comedown Machine Review

The Strokes - Comedown Machine [Rock]

I will make it clear that I never enjoyed anything by the Strokes post "Is This It", because none sounded as refreshing as their debut. Before even listening to this album, one can deduce that this band is torn apart by multiple musical directions without actually settling on one, kinda echoing Radiohead in their past (and some may argue, in their future).


Many people talk about this album taking on multiple genres but I will be the first to say that is rubbish. Yes, the songs do sound very different (and that is a triumph for artistes in an age of stale song-writing) from one another, but at the end they manage to be, well... Strokes songs; catchy, simple and fun.


Julian Casablanca's vocals are polarising. I do not think they are fantastic at all on this album, he seems to be using the higher register more extensively than ever, but like it or not, his vocals are surprisingly well integrated into the songs, with him almost accentuating the melodies found in the music (case in point: 'Call It Fate, Call It Karma'). Instrumentally the album is a lot better than a lot of the indie artistes out there today, Albert and Nick are guitarists with substance and show their skill subtle ways rather than damage the songs.

When all this has been said, its pretty obvious that the band's main interest here is song-writing, and I would say it is so-so; enjoyable, melodic, but it will not pass the test of time. The melodies are safe, as evidenced in the all too familiar tones in 'One Way Trigger' which blatantly echo A-Ha's 'Take On Me', and the directions of the band see more like conquering new territory rather than creating them; the laidback chill factor of 'Welcome To Japan' (a song I may actually better understand now that I have been there), the synthpop on the retrospective title track, the danceability of 'Partners In Crime' and the closing track, which is my favourite song on the album, a song so strong it puts the rest of the album in a new light.

All in all, nothing groundbreaking, but surprisingly tasteful songs, which may make me reconsider my feelings for The Strokes.

Rating: ★★★★☆