Blessthefall "Hard Feelings" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 3/5 Stars

I always talk about how I love finding bands that are doing interesting and innovative stuff within the metalcore genre. For every generic and awful act within this music style, there is a band that stays true to the style while still being original. That has been the case with Blessthefall for their whole career. I got into them around the time of "Hollow Bodies" (still my favorite album by them), and I've been hooked ever since. Beau Bokan is an excellent clean vocalist, having a higher vocal register that doesn't come across as annoying. Jared Warth also brings plenty of intensity with his unclean vocals. This band has had a very solid album run, with "To Those Left Behind" doing a good job of what "Hollow Bodies" started. It also progressed the band's sound in a promising direction. This new release, "Hard Feelings", has the band opting for a more hard rock/electronic based route. The metalcore aspect is at a bare minimum. This creates an album that doesn't has a mix of great moments as well as many disappointing ones.

I was very concerned about BTF upon hearing that they'd signed to Rise Records. This label has taken almost all its metalcore acts and made them follow the same formula. Almost every band on this label plays it way too safe, and creates content that has a sense of artificiality. Any band that does something original on this label often ends up leaving. I have a feeling it's because the label stifles their creativity. This isn't necessarily the case with Blessthefall's new release. In fact, this album gets off to a very promising start with what is easily one of the best songs on the album, "Wishful Sinking". This track boasts the band's classic sound in every sense of the word. It refines it through some technically proficient production. I love the atmospheric electronics that begin this track before it bursting into some memorable guitar work. Beau's vocals are at an all time best in this song; it's really soaring throughout, especially in the chorus which will easily hook you in. I also couldn't help but appreciate the water symbolism, as that has been a trademark of the band from the beginning. The electronic breakdown was very unexpected, but it's masterfully done and made me love this song all the more. "Find Yourself" is also a pretty good song, although it's not one of the more memorable. It's once again the chorus that stands out, as Beau utilizes his high vocal range to his advantage. I think you'd have to be extremely critical to not like "Cutthroat". This song was a highlight for me right away, as it brings back the band's intensity in an awesome way. I liked the album "To Those Left Behind", but it didn't have any tracks quite as intense at this one. I love how aggressive Bokan is being, as this is not his usual style. I only wish there had been more songs of this intensity on the release.

The second half of this release has some solid tracks as well. "Keep Me Close" is a seriously haunting track, and it's probably my favorite on the album. Clocking in at almost five minutes, this song is actually a bit unpredictable and keeps you on your toes. The lyrics in this pack a lot of emotional weight, as well: "Remember me/She whispered 'Heaven’s so far out of reach'/Keep me close/Like a moment you’re afraid to leave/So now this is how it feel/When you’re all alone". I like how this song shifts pace frequently. It has a ballad-like start, before going into a soaring rock chorus. About two minutes or so in, there's a surprising but effective breakdown, before the song shifts back to the ballad structure. I think the constant changing of styles in this song actually helps you pay attention to the powerful lyrics. This is probably one of my favorite BTF songs to date. They do a great job here of utilizing their own formula, while putting effective manipulations in it. "Sakura Blues" is an intriguing track, having a distorted piano playing in the beginning. This made me lean forward in my seat. I like the somewhat off-kilter vibe this song has. The chorus isn't catchy in a way that you would expect. However, it still has an interesting way of getting stuck in your head.

Unfortunately, for all the legitimately good stuff on this album, there is a lot of content that is legitimately bad. The bad content has me worried for what this band could look like in the future if they stay on Rise Records. While the positives on this album can't be denied, the negatives really bring this release down. "Feeling Low" annoys the heck out of me, as it utilizes electronics in the worst way possible: vocal manipulation. Hearing Beau's voice have electronic effects put on it in the chorus is criminal to me, as his voice is just fine without them. It's clearly meant to be trend-hopping, as so much of metalcore is adopting this right now. This track will certainly feel outdated in the future, and the lyrics are surprisingly bad. But the worst song on the album, and maybe my least favorite BTF song ever, is "Melodramatic". Lord, is this song generic. This is the typical Risecore breakup song, and it's infuriating in every way possible. The band specifically chose this song as the lead single because it is so safe. Safe in every sense of the word. There's not a thing I like about this song, as every band member sounds like they're on automatic. The chorus doesn't hook you in, and the verses are paint-by-numbers in expressing feelings about an ex-girlfriend. "I'm Over Being Under(rated)" is a little obnoxious to me, as Beau expresses how he thinks BTF deserves more attention. I've always felt this band was pretty popular even outside the metalcore scene, so I'm not sure why this song was necessary. It just felt more like it was pandering to the generic idea of rising above obstacles. "Sleepless in Phoenix" is highly unmemorable, and checks off every box for filler. "Welcome Home" is a earnest closer (and I like its cute ending with Bokan's son singing the chorus of the song), but it didn't do that much for me in general.

Overall, I wouldn't call "Hard Feelings" a bad album by any means. I think fans of other Rise bands will generally enjoy this release, and I think that BTF fans will enjoy a lot of what this album has to offer. If you told me you liked this album, I would totally understand. I would also understand if you told me that you hated it. For every great track on this release, there is one that is rather bland and generic. I don't want Blessthefall to become a generic Rise act, and strip away all the things that made them an interesting metalcore band. I tend to be biased to rock, and that's primarily what this album is. The problem is it can follow the cliches of radio rock unashamedly. I do still recommend this album, though, as I think there's enough solid material to enjoy. There just may be a couple you'll want to skip.

Favorite Songs: "Keep Me Close", "Wishful Sinking", "Cutthroat", "Sakura Blues"
Least Favorite Songs: "Melodramatic", "Feeling Low", "Over Being Under(rated)"

XXXTENTACION "?" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 1.5/5 Stars

The current state of the music industry has made it to where practically anybody can make it big. Now, in some ways, I like this idea. There are some absolutely underrated bands who are now gaining attention because of how music is working right now, and I love that. But, this also makes way for some of the worst garbage I've ever heard to somehow make its way onto the Billboard 100. I think the Billboard 100 has been pretty underwhelming for the past few years, but it got much worse in 2017 with the emergence of "Soundcloud Rappers". I hate even saying Soundcloud now because of its association with talentless hacks promoting their music in Twitter and pretty much everywhere else. One of the pioneers of this movement is XXXTENTACION. You may remember me mentioning him in a more commentary based post I wrote a while back. It discussed separating the artist from the art. I talked about him because X has been accused of and jailed for domestic abuse as well as other crimes. It's really hard for me to understand why anyone would support the guy when he's been proven guilty. But, nevertheless, people do, and I figured that his music must be something special. But it isn't. It REALLY isn't. There are only a couple redeemable tracks on "?", but overall this album is unbelievably awful.

I will say, there were some tracks on this album that I legitimately thought were pretty good. But like almost every track here, the tracks I liked were too short and not fleshed out nearly enough. Probably the best track here is "Numb". This is the only song here that has a somewhat coherent song structure. I respect that X seems to want to try different genres (even if he doesn't truly pay them proper respect, more on that later). He has at least a semblance of interest for genres varying from rock to folk to even metalcore. "Numb" is of the acoustic rock genre, and it's pretty good overall. I like how it keeps on building, and reaches a climax that has a well-earned payoff. X's voice is also quite good here; I like the sort of rock/R&B style it has to it. I also think "Alone, Part 3" is a decent cut. It's weakened by its absolutely cliched emo style lyricism, but X's voice as well as the solid guitar work save it from being an entire throwaway. "Moonlight" has a unique backing beat that you can nod along to, and X actually sounds like he's having legitimate fun here. I have to give appreciation to "Room 555" for really surprising me with its metal tinged styling. There's some truly intense screaming here, and I liked how angry Tentacion sounded. If only it was longer than just under 2 minutes.

That's four out of 18 tracks total that I like. There's are some big issues with this album. For one, 18 tracks is far too many. For two, this album is actually only 30 minutes long with all those 18 tracks. How is that possible, you may ask. Well, it's because (save for two tracks) every song on here is only about 2 and a half minutes on average. Some barely even clock in at 1 minute. That makes for an album that is full of what feels like song samples rather than actual songs. The multiple genre shifts also makes this album feel entirely too unorganized. You'll see what I mean as we go through this painful release. I was turned off from "?" almost immediately with "Introduction (instructions)". In this track, X is basically telling the listener how they should be listening to the album. He tells us we should go in with an open mind to "alternative" types of music, and he also claims that he's a genius. That's got to be one of the most pretentious things I've ever heard from any album ever. Calling what he does "alternative" is bull. I guess maybe his younger audience finds some of the styles he does alternative. But he shouldn't frame metal, rock, and folk as such. That implies that he doesn't respect those styles of music either, that they might be just alternatives to him. Calling himself a genius is just laughable. "SAD!" is a pretty manipulative track in terms of it's lyrical content. There's a line that says "Suicide if you ever try to let go". X seems to actually be threatening the girl that he's talking to that he'll commit suicide if she were to ever leave him. That is so wrong on so many levels to me.  This song musically is very annoying, with a hook that won't get out of my head for all the wrong reasons.

"Infinity (888)" has a decent jazz rap vibe that I actually enjoyed for the most part, but its once again brought down by lyrics that seem to be trying to be unnecessarily vulgar just so that X and featured artist Joey Bada$$ (dumb name, but I think his music aside from this song is actually really good and thoughtful) can prove they're "hard" or whatever. They have some undeniable chemistry together, but the lyrics here just made me cringe. "going down!" speaks on a typical rap subject: sex. It checks all the boxes of what a song like this is supposed to do with nothing truly interesting or original going on. There are also name drops of Lil Yachty and Mike Tyson that ultimately contribute nothing to the track. "the remedy for a broken heart" is trying so hard to be this deep tragic song about X escaping his depression. However, its constant repetition of the hook talking about smoking weed takes away any real tension. The song comes across as whiny more than anything else, and its acoustic guitar is drowned out by other loud production. The same can be said for "Pain=BESTFRIEND", perhaps the most heinous slaughtering of the emo genre that I've ever heard. It's hard to take seriously at all with lyrics that sound like they came out of a middle school diary of someone who thinks they're being deep. I use emo here as an insult, because this song is emo in all the wrong ways. The second half of this album is far worse than the first half, unfortunately. It only gets even more painful from here.

Easily my least favorite track on this album is "$$$". This track exhibits everything I loathe about trap: the usage of manipulated vocal effects, excessive autotune, obnoxious trap beats, and lyrics that are completely void of life. X's bragging about his riches on here just feels unearned to me. It feels very awkward in the context of an album that is claiming to be deep with all these songs about depression. But when most of the "deep" songs on here are already coming across as shallow, that only makes his songs where he's flexing feel all the worse. It makes me wonder whether he actually is all about those Tumblr-level deep songs, or if they're really just a front for him so he can have people feeling sorry for him. "love yourself" is only 48 seconds long and is entirely pointless. You'll most likely forget this song as soon as you listen to it. "SMASH!" is yet another track about meaningless sex, except in this one X talks about how he likes "lemonade". If you listen to the track in context of the song, you'll know what I mean. It's straight up distasteful, stupid, and immature. The production value is over the top and X is unnecessarily drowned in autotune. "i don't even speak spanish lol" is as cringe worthy as its title implies. This song doesn't at all fit on the album, as it's seemingly a parody of Latin pop. Nothing about it feels right, and the parody feels more malicious than anything, like there's actually no respect for the genre. "changes" is yet another forgettable track, but it's followed by the infuriating song "Hope". X dedicates this song to the victims of the Parkland shooting at the beginning, but it feels like a mere afterthought when afterwords X bragging about how the haters don't effect him because he has money. "Schizophrenia" disrespects the genre of metal, feeling very haphazardly put together. This track made me particularly angry, because, once again, X seems to do this genre just because he thinks it is "alternative", not because he wants to pay it respect. The album ends on a forgettable note with "before I close my eyes".

Over the years, I have gained respect for rap. There are actually quite a few rappers I like, from Lecrae to Kendrick Lamar to NF. I think there's so much room for innovation in the genre, and I initially liked X's ideas about incorporating metal and rock into the fold. But, it just doesn't work here. This whole album is devoid of any coherence. Most of the songs are too short to be even called actual songs. They feel like lazily strung together ideas. Still, X thinks they're great because he's deluded himself into thinking he's a modern rap genius. This release isn't smart. Even the best of the tracks have themes and styles that have been done better by other artists. I would rather listen to Linkin Park's far more emotionally powerful "Numb" any day over X's "Numb". I really have a hard time understanding those who like soundcloud rappers. As this proves, X is a rapper who is leeching off other genres rather than truly utilizing them to his advantage. Please, don't listen to this release. It has high potential to be my worst album of the year.

Favorite Songs: "Numb", "Room 555", "Moonlight"
Least Favorite Songs: "$$$", "i don't speak spanish lol", "Schizophrenia", "Introduction (instructions)", "SMASH!",  "Hope"

"Mom and Dad" Movie Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars

Love him or hate him, you can't deny that one of the most interesting actors of our times is Nicolas Cage. He's certainly an enigma in cinema. He's been in some pretty decent films, like "National Treasure" (not a perfect movie but certainly enjoyable). But he's also been in so many more films that are considered so bad they're good, such as "The Wicker Man". I don't know why Cage chooses to do so many bad films, but that's just what he's known for, along with usually giving very over the top performances that don't always fit. Unfortunately, director Brian Taylor's new film "Mom and Dad" is not necessarily the best vehicle for him to show off what he's capable of. This movie about parents who suddenly turn on their children to kill them can be legitimately funny with its very black comedy. There's some clever satire in certain segments, though it's in sadly short supply. However, it also suffers from overindulging in its violence and flashbacks that are meant to bring sympathy to the characters (but are ultimately ineffective). This movie also has an erratically paced and confusing plot arc with an underwhelming ending.

Let's talk about the parts of this film that I like, because there are actually some real high points. The comedy is easily the best part of this film. I will be referring mainly to the comedy in the first half, because the first half of this movie is much better than the second.  I liked how this film was establishing the idea that the Brent and Kendall Ryan already were having frustrating relationships with their kids. There's a pretty hysterical moment where Brent and his son Josh are in a tickle fight, and then Josh throws a soccer ball at him. For just a brief moment, you see a murderous glint in Brent's eyes, before he goes back to playing with him. It was a moment that had me bursting out laughing; I only wish there were more slightly subtle moments like this. I also found one of the first conversations between mother Kendall and her daughter Carly to be satirically ingenious. It plays off a lot of stereotypical relationships we see in films between mother and daughter. The movie is very self-aware of this, and so makes their relationship feel purposefully ridiculous. The beginning of this movie does a good job at showing exactly how tense the relationships between parent and child are, even if it is only surface level. I just wish that the film had continued to go in depth on this aspect, but it never goes much further than this. There are a lot of other funny moments in the beginning part of the film I enjoy, such as parents staring down their newborn babies with over-the-top murderous expressions. Even though the ending of this movie is weaker, I still couldn't help but laugh at watching Kendall and Brent treat the murdering of their children as if it was just any other day. Seeing them gleefully brandishing saws and hammers was undeniably hilarious.

As far as the casting of this movie goes, it's a little bit on and off for me with each actor. Selma Blair as Kendall is probably the strongest link of the cast. The audience understands her the most and her struggles as a mother. I think more of that comes from Blair herself rather than the script. Once again, most of all we know about her struggles comes from the beginning half of the movie. Those conflicts are ultimately not explored or even put in context of when she turns murderous. Still, I did enjoy Blair, even if her character was all over the place in the second half. What can I say about Nicolas Cage? He's Nicolas Cage, and that's just as true here as most any other film he's in. Your mind won't be changed on loving him or hating him by this performance. Personally, there were some moments with him I was enjoying, because he can be riotously funny when he's exaggerating his character to the point that he himself must be aware of it. But there are other points when he's such a caricature of himself that you don't really see any identifiable aspect of the character Brent. Cage is playing himself. It's an objectively weak performance, but I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. Both Anne Winters and Zackary Arthur as the kids Carly and Josh really did nothing for me. They're capable enough young actors, it's just that their characters are not very compelling. Josh might as well just be a slightly annoying nuisance. There's some okay but mostly arbitrary character development for Anne that feels cliched more than anything. I found it hard to sympathize with her at all after how the movie established her in the first half. I almost wish with her they'd just gone all in on her "annoying teenage girl" archetype. I would have liked the more serious development of her character if it was done well, but it just wasn't. The only other big performance here was Robert Cunningham as Damon Hall, and he didn't do much to impress me either.

Where this film really suffers is in its plot. Brian Taylor clearly knew what he wanted to do in the comedic department, as that is when this film shines the brightest. But the story is very flimsy. It hinges entirely on the idea that the parents want to kill their children. That's it. Where did this inhibition come from? What caused this to happen? Why did it happen? None of these questions are answered, which makes the parent's murderous urges feel very sudden and random. It comes out of nowhere. Now maybe it wasn't the purpose of this movie to tell us that story. Still, it at least could've given a general idea about if this urge was a disease or whatever. The second half of this film suffers from a really big tonal shift. I was digging the first half of this movie, as it was silly and ridiculous, but in a way that worked. The second half of this film just turns into a generic slasher film. Taylor tries to make the violence have a sense of style, but it mostly just comes across as unnecessarily quick-paced action. The fight scenes aren't very well choreographed, and the camera work is often nauseating. This movie also has three out of nowhere flashbacks. In these scenes Taylor tries to give you reason to care for the parent/child relationships between Brent/Josh and Kendall/Carly. These flashbacks are so quick and inconsequential. They ultimately contribute nothing to the plot, as the parents are still going about killing their children. (SPOILER ALERT) The movie even tries to throw in another plot point where the grandparents come in to kill Brent and Kendall. This is a funny and even great idea. Unfortunately it happens near the end of the film, so there's not much reason to be invested. The ending of this movie is very abrupt. There needed to be a third act to the film, or at least more time added to it. With no breathing room or development, this movie being so short is a negative.

I don't think "Mom and Dad" is a necessarily horrible movie. I would recommend the first parts of the film to anyone, as I think they're filled with some great comedy and interesting establishment of the concept of parents wanting kill their children. It's unfortunate that the film decided not to build upon this throughout. It instead leaves the viewer not really caring about the flimsy, almost non-existent, plot. Any plot arc becomes entirely irrelevant once the film turns into a boring slasher rather than an interesting satire/black comedy. The elements of the latter genre are there at points in the second half, but aren't present nearly enough. I think stronger writing could've helped bolster what was a fine cast and a potential filled premise. Ultimately, this film had a lot going for it. But it ultimately ends up being underwhelming.

Secrets "Secrets" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

When there are so many generic bands on Rise Record, it can be hard and tiresome to find a diamond in the rough. Thankfully, I was still able to find Secrets. They had a truly interesting sound on their superb sophomore release, "Fragile Figures", that didn't adhere to the Rise formula. I still come back to that album often, as it has so many excellent songs. Their debut is pretty good as well, even if it's a little rough around the edges. The band's third album "Everything That Got Us Here" is not an awful album, but it was a noticeable change to the Rise formula. There was still enough talent in the band to keep the album from being an entire waste, but it was disappointing that Rise was forcing the band's hand. I think Secrets didn't like that either, as they have now left them and are on an independent record label. This was a great choice for them to make. The band's self-titled fourth album shows the band back to form, and even changing up their sound to have an overall effective punk/rock backbone. The release still sometimes leans towards generic tendencies, but this is overall one of the most fun albums I've listened to all year.

The beginning half of this album is especially strong, full of memorable tracks and even a couple I would consider among the band's best work. "Sixteen" starts out the album great with this ominous atmosphere, done by combining some intriguing guitar riffs, electronics, and well-utilized distorted vocals from clean singer Richard Rogers. Rogers is such a talented vocalist, and it made me smile to hear him once again, as even on the band's previous album, he was still a shining beacon. This song screams classic Secrets from beginning to end, with the verses boasting impassioned screams from new unclean vocalist Wade Walters (who thankfully has a very similar screaming style to the previous screamer). The chorus soars with Rogers really seeming to enjoy himself. You can tell that's a common theme of the album. Last album everyone seemed to be on automatic, so it's nice to see all the band members having chemistry and enjoying what they're doing. There's interestingly another number named song after this one, "Fourteen". This track really caught me off guard the first time, as this song is almost entirely in the genre of punk/rock. It is very different for the band, but I like that they changed up their sound. In fact, this style works very well for them, especially in the Walters' screaming segments. There are some pop/punk influences that appear in the chorus, with Rogers really just going all in against that genre. This song is not one of my favorites necessarily, but I do appreciate it for taking such a bold risk.

This album goes on a huge winning streak with its next several tracks. "Incredible" was a great choice for the lead single. It's hard to not be hooked in by this track. It once again has a punk vibe to it, but I like the way the band combines it with metal and rock. Rogers sounds awesome in the pre-chorus. The build-up to the chorus in general is actually really awesome. We then get to the chorus, which is actually just Rogers singing/shouting out the title of the song over and over. It sounds like a pop cliche, but I think it works because the build-up was preparing us for the pay off. Things get even better, because after that, Rogers just really shows off his singing talent with some great lyrics: "Through the pain and all the guilt/You’re all I needed to rebuild/We never knew but it was so inevitable/You brought to life inside of me/The man I never thought I'd be/A place I know that I can call incredible". I like how sincere this song is in Rogers expressing love for someone else bringing him out of a dark place. This song is absolutely triumphant. My favorite song, though, is "Strangers". This song has to be one of my favorites of the year. This track goes through several genre shifts, constantly shifting from pop to rock to metal effortlessly. There are some moments of this track that are the most radio friendly that the band have ever gotten, and there is a breakdown in the song that is certainly the most brutal the band has gotten. And oh man, is that chorus killer. If you're not singing along to the chorus, then I'm not sure what's wrong with you. This is without a doubt one of Rogers's best vocal performances to date.

Another freaking awesome track comes in "Five Years". This is the most intense song on the album by far, and it is all the better for it. Walters lets his screams go to some incredible heights. This song is full of unrestrained anger and passion, and I love it for that reason. Rogers even lets his normally more poppy vocals have some rock influence here as his voice becomes a little bit more gritty and raw. The breakdown in this song put a smile on my face, and this song as a whole left me impressed as it goes out with a bang. "Mouth Breather" brings back the punk influence in the chorus,. This track in general is one of the more interesting moments of the album. The guitar work doesn't quite match up to Rogers vocals, creating an odd but effective dissonance between these two elements. I think this cut does actually boast some of the best guitar work from Michael Sherman. "Lost Cause" and "Last Time" are two effective songs to come one after the other, because both of them boast excellent choruses that will have you singing along in no time. But the real highlight of the slightly weaker ending half of this album is "3.17.16", a haunting song about loss. You can really feel the emotions exuding from this track, as it is one of the most well-written: "What happened when you left?/Did you get your wings/Or just sink into nothing?/I've been searching but I can't find a sign". The song is also one of the more intense moments of the album, which works well with the subject matter.

There are a few weak moments in this release that have to be pointed out. "Chemical Reaction" is the weakest song here, because it's really just far too generic in every way. This song is about as typical of a relationship song as I've heard, right down to the song title. There's not anything that this track does to attempt to stand out. Lyrically, it's actually a bit cheesy, which is disappointing as most of Secrets' relationship centered songs are genuine and often clever. "The End" is really just a filler track. It could've been taken out and this release would've not suffered. I don't necessarily dislike the closing track "Let Me In", but I don't think it leaves the album out on an effective note. It more feels like a song that should've been in the middle, as I think "3.17.16" would've been a far better closing track. In general, I think the second half of this release is not as strong as the first half. Even though there are some good parts of the second half, none of them really compare to the excellent moments that appear in the first half. I have to emphasize that there's no song here I hate. There are just a couple of track that make this album end out on a little too unforgettable of a note. That isn't fair to all the memorable songs here.

Overall, I am happy to say that I think Secrets are back to loving what they do. Even though I didn't dislike "Everything That Got Us Here" as a whole, I do think that the band may have not felt passionate about the album. That is not the case with their self-titled. I think this album might be self-titled for a reason, as it is a rejuvenation as well as a re-invention of their sound. This may not be one of the stronger releases I've heard this year, but this album more than makes up for it by having some of the strongest individual songs I've heard in 2018. I do recommend "Secrets", especially the killer first half. It's good to have this band back, and I can't wait to see what they do next!

Favorite Songs: "Strangers", "Five Years", "Incredible", "3.17.16", "Sixteen", "Mouth Breather"
Least Favorite Songs: "Chemical Reaction", "The End", "Let Me In"

Three Days Grace "Outsider" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 2/5 Stars

Even though I haven't been the biggest fan of them at any point in my life, I still can't deny that I recognize the talent that was in Three Days Grace- especially when Adam Gontier was the lead vocalist. There was a real sincerity about them in their songwriting. The way their songs were written felt relatable to a young crowd, and the lyrics were smart (but not overly smart). Musically the band's sound has been very identifiable. There's something about it that easily captivates the ear. I have immense respect for their albums "One-X", "Life Starts Now", and "Transit of Venus" (an album that is highly underrated in my opinion). This band had a noticeable downfall in terms of quality once Gontier departed and Matt Walst became the lead vocalist. Their album "Human" had mixed reactions at best from fans. It was understandable why. The album was not that interesting, though I personally think there were some gems to be found in it. Unfortunately the same can't be said for the band's new release "Outsider". This album comes across as forgettable and oftentimes cringeworthy in how much the band is trying to appeal to its fanbase as well as the radio.

There are a couple of songs on this release that are good, though most of them aren't really anything special. "Infra-Red" is an undeniably catchy track. This one does a good job at fusing electronics and guitar work together (unlike the rest of this album- more on that later). It creates an interesting and appealing sound. It is easy to head bang along to this track, and the chorus definitely hooks you in. This song isn't the greatest thing in the world or anything, but it's fine for what it is. My favorite track definitely comes in "The Abyss". Honestly, this song might be too good for this album. It does something that no other song really does on this album: it is bold. The song has a musically intense background from start to finish, with effective guitar riffs and drum work thrown in. Walst even lets loose a pretty vicious scream at the end of the song. His vocal performance is passionate throughout, and the lyrics are filled with interesting imagery: "Looking through distorted eyes/A mirror that I can't recognize/No way out, no exit signs...". This song has the only lyrical moments that stand out for me in a positive way. I appreciate "Love Me or Leave Me" for creating a dark atmosphere with its electronic effects. The lyrics aren't really anything to write home about, but they serve the song. Matt's vocals actually work well against this song's soundscape. "Nothing to Lose But You" also gets some credit for at least trying to be an earnest relationship song, even if it has a few music and lyrical tropes here and there.

That's about it for the good parts of this album. As you can tell, even most of the songs I liked on here, I also had to admit I had slight issues with. That isn't a good sign when even your favorite songs on an album aren't really that great. It bodes even worse for this release that almost every bad track here is really bad. You get a sense of what you're in for on this album quickly with the opening track and one of the singles "Right Left Wrong". Even that title made me shudder a little because of how the band probably thought they were being clever with it. This is one of the most cliched puns you could make, and the song is about exactly what you think. It has Walst questioning what direction he should take in life, but ultimately deciding that there's no real direction that is right or wrong. It's such an insipid and cliched message to give to a young fanbase. The same goes for the lead single "The Mountain", which has made me more angry the more I've listened to it. This song uses mountains as a symbol for obstacles we have to overcome. Because we definitely haven't heard mountains used in this way before. Musically and lyrically, this track checks off every box for what is successful in radio rock right now, right down to having an electronic-infused beginning. This whole album uses electronics, and its incorporation fails more often than succeeds. The band either does not enough with it or does way too much instead of trying to find any sense of balance. If you thought "The Mountain" was generic enough, then get ready for your mind to be changed. "I Am An Outsider" is somehow even more bland. Seriously, TDG thought THIS song was good enough to be the title track? The lyrics in this song offer nothing new or interesting to the listener: "I am an outsider/I don't care about the in-crowd, no/Better off on my own now". This whole song sounds like it's on cruise control. The lyrics are so blatant in their genericism that it's actually sort of hilarious. The singles for this album are some of the worst it has to offer, which doesn't bode well for this release as a whole.

Believe it or not, it does actually get worse than these three songs. "Me Against You" has a case of being so unbelievably bad it's almost good. I started laughing the first time I heard this song. The lyrics sound like they came out of Matt's middle school diary: "You need to get this straight/I will never cooperate with you/You try to control me/And the pain I feel seems to make you happy". These lyrics aren't poetic or interesting. They represent someone who's trying to be those things, but failing so badly. In the music department, this song is a jumbled mess. The guitar work sounds way too distorted and doesn't mesh well at all with the over-emphasized electronics. Matt's voice is criminally overproduced and even sounds explicitly autotuned. Not a single thing about this song works. The worst song to me, though, is "The New Real". What was the band thinking when they were making this song? Once again, it's confused in the music department, not really sounding like it has a coherent melody. It's the lyrics that get under my skin though. This song uses words like "Maserati", "van sticker family", "gangster wannabe", and "textbook insanity" in its lyrics. Awkward wording like that just doesn't work in any song, no matter the message. This song feels a little hypocritical in that the band is critiquing people who are trying to be something they're not. Three Days Grace are clearly trying to be deep and meaningful with their lyrics, but the writing and musicality is so poor that it comes across as shallow. So, in a way, the band is actually representing themselves in this track. I can't stand this song at all, and will not be coming back to it any time soon. There's nothing all that memorable about "Villain I'm Not", "Strange Days", or "Chasing the First Time". All the songs just feel like cheap clones of other well known TDG songs, so why wouldn't I go back and just listen to the ones that I like?

As you can tell, I am not at all a fan of this album. I definitely lean towards hating it more than I do loving it. "The Abyss" is the only song here that I can see myself coming back to. The other good songs here are good in the fact that they don't suck as much as the weak tracks. The weak tracks here number far too many. Almost all of them come across in the worst negative light, with some of them being the worst rock songs I've heard in years. I'll admit, I can have a soft spot for rock as it's my favorite genre, and I like a lot of bands that are radio friendly. Still, I'm not afraid to call out bands that bring across the worst possible representations of radio rock. Three Days Grace is one of the most popular rock bands, and the fact that they made such a generic release could be a bad implication for what rock radio will look like in the coming years. Please, whatever you do, don't listen to this album. You'd be better off listening to "One-X" or "Life Starts Now". I don't think I can possibly be a fan of this version of TDG. Not any more.

Favorite Songs: "The Abyss", "Infra-Red", "Love Me or Leave Me"
Least Favorite Songs: "The New Real", "Me Against You", "I Am An Ousider", "The Mountain", "Right Left Wrong"

FAS #14: RED "Until We Have Faces" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 5/5 Stars

It's finally time for the next installment in my Favorite Album Series! I have been very excited to talk about this release. It's been a while since I've really been able to convey just what is so amazing about RED's third album, "Until We Have Faces". I still remember the hype that was around this release. Riding off the immense success of their sophomore album (which was FAR from a slump) "Innocence and Instinct", RED came out with a teaser for their new album in late 2010. I was incredibly excited for this album, and even more so when I heard the single "Faceless". I had no real idea about how much this album would impact me. Taking inspiration from the C.S. Lewis novel of the same name, "Until We Have Faces" is one of RED's best releases. It's full of many of their most memorable songs. In fact, I personally think this album is absolutely perfect from start to finish (and that will be the same for the rest of the albums I review in this series).

This release starts off excellently with what is arguably the band's most intense song to date, "Feed The Machine". I've listened to this song on consistent repeat over the years, and even after 8 years of listening to it, this track still blows me away. You know you're in for a treat when Michael Barnes lets out his signature gritty screams and there is an absolutely explosive guitar. I also can't go without mentioning the legendary drum work of Joe Rickard, who is unfortunately not in the band anymore. He really brings something unique to this album as a whole. This song was ahead of its time in the lyrical department, and I think the commentary it has is even more relevant to today: "We fall in line, we live the lie/Give up, give up and feed the machine/It grows inside, nowhere to hide...". The lyrics discuss in compelling detail how we are so easy to give in to society, corruption and all. Society is the machine, and we are willingly giving it power. I won't deny that this subject matter has been done before. However, RED takes this concept a step further by actually giving listeners a solution to this issue: "Wake up, wake up/And kill the machine". Songs with dark subject matter like this usually conclude that there's no way out. I like that RED challenges us to actually try to fight against corruption. This song also has an awesome cinematic feel to it at the end, with the combination of RED's signature orchestration as well as a choir. It's one of band's best songs to date. Next up is "Faceless", the lead single of the album. This song has the band's classic sound. Even when you first hear it, it feels like you've always known this song was around. That's how good it is. This has all the identifiable trademarks of RED: combining pounding guitar riffs with gorgeous orchestration, Michael shifting between his soaring cleans and hard hitting screams, and compelling lyrics. The lyrics in this song focus around not wanting to feel like a fake version of yourself. This theme comes alive in the very catchy chorus. You can feel the desperation in Barnes's voice, making this one stand out all the more.

"Lie to Me (Denial)" is one of my top 3 favorite RED songs of all time, and it's definitely my favorite song off this album. I also feel that this one, despite being a single, is incredibly underrated. I don't think many people truly appreciate just how different this song is for the band. They opt for a more alternative rock sound in this one, and it's executed perfectly. I also like how this song subtly reveals that it's from the perspective of God, reaching out to this person who doesn't love Him: "Lie to me/
You can feel/That this love was never real/Walk away/You can learn to love again...You can leave/I'll still be here when you see/You're not alone/You don't have to run again/And leave me in denial". The redemptive nature of this song still gives me chills, as it gives an honest portrayal of God that isn't stereotypical or over the top. Instead there's a legitimate feeling of relationship between God and the person He's talking to. The chorus of this song just goes above and beyond in how much it hooks you in, with the Michael's vocals being at their absolute best. "Let It Burn" has a lot of Linkin Park influence in it, and that's not a bad thing at all. RED has pretty much always succeeded at making great ballads, and this one is no exception. I also like the storytelling in this song, as well as how it uses a city burning as symbolism for letting the old, corrupt self die. It continues to tie in to this album's thematic arc of truly finding who you are. Even though it's not one of my favorites on the album, I still can't deny that "Buried Beneath" is very accessible and catchy. It boasts a chorus that just won't get out of your head. I totally understand why this one became a single, as it does radio rock in the right way.

Another great ballad appears in "Not Alone". This is still what I would call RED's only attempt at making a worship song. But, unlike most worship songs where the singer is addressing God, this song, like "Lie To Me", comes from God's perspective. This album is incredibly deep in the sense that RED is connecting with God in a level that they haven't on their previous albums. I think that aspect of this album alone deserves praise. The reassurance this song gives that we will never be alone, even in our darkest moments, comes across as very genuine. I like the increased usage of strings in this track as well. The intensity is amped up very quickly with the guitar heavy "Watch You Crawl". This track could easily be on "Innocence and Instinct", but still works in context of this album. The lyrics of this song express a justified anger for someone who has betrayed Michael, especially in the bridge where he lets loose some of his most unbridled screams. After this we get the track "The Outside", a major highlight for me. This one starts off with some unsettling electronic effects before getting into a thrashing guitar riff that has some clear metal influences. I like how Michael changes his vocal style up on this one as well, as it has a more gritty feel to it. The menace his voice exudes in this track is incredible and legitimately chilling. The band hasn't done a song quite like this one ever since, which makes this track stand all the taller in their whole discography.

"Who We Are" is an anthem, pure and simple. Right from the beginning you get the feeling of what this song is gonna be all about. It's a pump up track; it's meant to get you hype. I tend to complain about pump up tracks being too generic, but I have no qualms with this one. The band does have fun on this track, but there is a legitimate weight to the lyrics: "How did we let go?/How did we forget that we don't have to hide?/We won't believe the lies again/We won't be paralyzed". All of the energy of this track derives from a real sense that we can fight against all the lies and the scars that have been put upon us. That's what makes this track work. This album has explored over and over again how exactly we find ourselves. This song stands as an epic response to that question: we don't have to answer to what society wants us out to be. We can fight to be who we were meant to be all along. I love that message. I've seen the band perform this song live, and trust me, the audience's sense of letting go of everything that held them captive was real. The album begins to wind down with the touching and reassuring ballad "The Best Is Yet To Come". This has some of the band's most retrospective lyrics to date, as well as lyrics that excitingly look towards the future. But it's really the ending track "Hymn for the Missing" that shines the brightest in the closing portion of this release. This track is tragic; you can feel the pain. I think this track is a necessary and fitting ending. Not everyone easily finds their identity due to circumstances beyond their control. This song is a desperate call out to those people: "Where are you now?/Are you lost?/Will I find you again?/Are you alone?/Are you afraid?". The album ends off with more questions instead of all sorts of easy answers. There are still so many people out there who are lost, alone, and afraid. RED isn't afraid to acknowledge that, and we have to acknowledge it as well. That makes the thematic arc of this album complete in a way that I wasn't expecting when I first listened to this album. I didn't like the album ending inconclusively at first, but now I understand why this had to be the conclusion. This album is called "Until We Have Faces". The work of finding identity isn't complete until everyone has found theirs. What an important and truthful realization.

RED has such a stellar discography overall. As their albums have gone on, the themes that they have explored have become more mature and compelling (with the slight exception of "Release The Panic"). I would argue that this album contains perhaps the most complex content that the band has ever dealt with. It does so in a way that is relatable to the listener. That is what makes this album work so well for me. There's not a single weak moment in it. Musically this album balances classic RED material with some experimentation, and often the more risky moves make for the best songs on this release. It's no surprise that "Until We Have Faces" got nominated for a Grammy. There's no doubt in my mind that this will continue to stay in my top 15 albums of all time. If you haven't listened to it, then please do, because you are missing out!

Favorite Songs: "Lie To Me (Denial)", "Feed The Machine", "Hymn for the Missing", "The Outside", "Not Alone", "Who We Are"
Least Favorite Songs: NONE