Billie Eilish "WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Billie Eilish is yet another artist I can add to the list of artists I should've discovered earlier, and am now kicking myself for not having done so. I was absolutely enraptured by this singer when I heard the single "you should see me in a crown", a song that had this really creepy horror vibe to it that you hardly ever see in any type of pop music. Eilish has been absolutely blowing up lately, with many of her songs cracking the Billboard Hot 100 in quick succession. This is an instance where I'd say that the concept of the Internet and streaming being able to blow up anyone is a good thing. After hearing "...crown" as well as "bury a friend", Eilish's debut album "WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?" became one of the releases I was looking most forward to in 2019. Thankfully, this release does not disappoint, as it is one of the most unique pop albums I've heard in quite some time, with a consistent atmosphere and compelling lyrical moments.

This album gets off to quite a great start with "bad guy", which is an undeniable banger. This is probably the catchiest song on the album, and the one that comes closest to what you would call a conventional pop cut. But even then, "coventional" is sort of stretching it. Billie using the almost throwaway word "duh" as a hook seems like it just shouldn't work, but for some reason it does. I have not been able to get that phrase out of my head, because of the way it leads into this cool electronic melody. This song sees Billie doing something she does quite often on this release: putting on a dark, menacing persona that is also quite fun. It's clear that Eilish has fun with acting like the bad guy, and that only helps this song work that much more. The vocal effects this track uses at times to make her sound like a monstrous entity is pretty freaking cool as well. I can't go without talking about Billie's brother FINNEAS, who is the producer and co-writer on every song here. His production is crisp and clean, and brings a vibe to this album that just works. You can tell him and Billie have a real chemistry together and just click. After this great opener, we get the cut "xanny", which is considerably darker and more serious than the previous cut. Here, Billie talks about the very real problem of drug addiction taking people's lives. She puts out a clear message here that there are other ways of having fun at a party besides taking Xanax. The sound of this track is intriguing to me, as it combines an almost jazzy piano with some booming electronics that swell in and out of both of your ears. It creates a soundscape that's interesting to hear and helps grab your attention. "You should see me in a crown" still remains to be one of my absolute favorites from the album. This song is refreshingly different from anything you'll hear on the radio with its glass shattering sound effects and Billie really letting her villainous side come out in full force. The way the drumming comes into this cut is really great as well.

"All the good girls go to hell" has Billie's more satirical side come out, as she takes religious imagery and upends it in ways that are admittedly clever to me. The opening line "My Lucifer is lonely" is an instantly memorable phrase on this album as a whole, and indicates to you exactly what the rest of this song is gonna be about. I just love how fun the song is, and the peppy piano beat is almost irresistible to nod your head along to. This album takes quite a sudden turn in its second half, starting with "when the party's over", a ballad that sent immediate chills up my spine. This song is unbelievably beautiful, and is probably the most obvious showcase of Billie's vocal talents. It emphasizes on her voice more than the musical soundscape, which helps hone in the focus on a breakup that was clearly tough to go through. This feels very different from your typical breakup song, though: the pain is very palpable, and the anguish and vocal cadences Billie has just can't be denied. "My strange addiction" was a track that immediately caught my attention when I first heard it due to it sampling the episode "Threat Level Midnight" from "The Office". The fact that a sampling from "The Office" was used in this song and worked in its own weird way is deserving of an accolade. I just love the way Billie uses dissonant vocal patterns in this song to convince the listener of the idea that this particular obsession she has with a certain person is weird. After this, we get my favorite song on the album, as well as one of my favorite songs of the year so far: "bury a friend". If there was ever a song that sounded like it comes straight out of a horror movie, this one is it. Billie speaks in the perspective of the monster under your bed, and it works SO well. This "monster" is clearly meant to be a symbol for everyone's collective fears, and it is straight up unsettling. The sounds this song feel like they came right out of a haunted house, such as the sound of a razor or an electronic effect that makes it sound like someone is screaming for help. It's sort of hard to describe, but I love it. The lyrics throughout this song are excellent, and the chorus is catchy in a very unconventional way. "Ilomilo" is an oddly good follow-up to the previous cut, having this low-key dance pop vibe to it. This song brings out a different styling from Billie that I'd like to see more of in the future. The album ends off with two really good cuts in "listen before i go" (an indescribably haunting song about someone contemplating suicide) and "i love you". The latter of the two cuts is particularly great, as it has a beautiful acoustic guitar, and probably the most memorably haunting lyrics on the album: "We fall apart as it gets dark/I'm in your arms in Central Park/There's nothing you could do or say/I can’t escape the way, I love you". The way this song swells is amazing, and the vocal chemistry between Eilish and FINNEAS here is pristine.

There are a couple of negative points on this album, although they are mostly not significant detractors to this release's overall quality. The fourteen second opener "!!!!!!" is just a little bit stupid and unnecessary. Thankfully "bad guy" is awesome enough to make me almost entirely forget about this cut, but it still just didn't need to be here. I'm just a bit perplexed about why it was included. "Wish you were gay" had some controversy around it being homophobic, but I don't really see it that way. The song still feels cliched as a hopeless romantic cut, though. It feels a bit immature, which makes sense, because Billie is only sixteen years old. This song still just didn't really work for me though; it sort of comes and goes, leaving little impression on me. I keep on going back on forth on how I feel about "8". There's this weird vocal filter put on Billie where it pitch shifts her to make her sound like she's three years old in some places. I don't think it quite works on the way that FINNEAS intended for it to, as it sounds sort of unsettling rather than cute. Or maybe it is meant to sound unsettling. The fact that I just can't tell what they were going for is what ultimately brings the song down for me. "Goodbye" feels like a gimmicky way to end the album by just reciting certain lyrical bits from every song in backwards order. The lyrical bits ultimately don't connect and make the song feel senseless. "I love you" would've been a far more impactful way to end the release.

It doesn't surprise me too much that there are already a lot of people quick to call out Billie Eilish as overrated; some have even theorized that she's an industry plant. I'm not sure how anyone could think the latter: Eilish is rather different for the pop scene, and this album actually takes quite a few risks. I am a bit biased to horror movies, so the fact that this album sounds like it could be the soundtrack to a horror movie in several places is a really cool concept to me. The intriguing lyrical themes and some legitimately powerful deep cuts help lift this album beyond being just a concept; instead, it's fully realized. Billie is young, and the fact that this is what she put out makes me really excited to see how she grows as an artist in the future. I really just hope people continue to pay attention to her. This debut is a great release, and has potential to make my top albums of 2019. Check it out!

Favorite Songs: "bury a friend", "you should see me in a crown", "i love you", "bad guy", "when the party's over", "my strange addiction"
Least Favorite Songs: "8", "wish you were gay"

"How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World" Movie Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 4/5 Stars

One of the things that I always love the most about film is when there can be made a series of films where all of them can be called at least "great". It can be tough particularly to make a series of films where the conclusion is satisfying for those who are the fans of the films. I've always seen this as the case for Dreamwork's attempts at movie trilogies. Shrek started off well with its first two movies, but quickly got worse with its third and fourth films, leaving a bad taste in people's mouths. While I can't say that I entirely dislike "Kung Fu Panda 3", it also just can't be denied that it is markedly weaker than the previous two films. However, even before going in to the final "How To Train Your Dragon", I had no doubts about the film being bad. I could just tell with the previous two that there was such a degree of care put into this series that isn't always seen for animated films. While "The Hidden World" doesn't quite match up to the first two films as a whole, its highest points are good enough to leave even the hardest to please fans satisfied.

What I've appreciated most about this series is that it has been a consistent coming-of-age story, for both Hiccup and Toothless. In this one, we see them both having to deal with some pretty momentous choices that will effect how both of their lives play out forever. Hiccup has some particularly difficult things to deal with, which makes watching his character in this film more interesting than ever. If anything, this film is more about the relationship between Hiccup and Toothless than ever before. You could debate that the first "How To Train Your Dragon" was actually more about the relationship between Hiccup and his father, and the second emphasized on his relationship with his mother. Having the final one be laser focused on him and Toothless feels like giving the fans exactly what they want, and it works. Hiccup and Toothless's friendship has always been the backbone of the series, and making it even more prominent in the final movie feels like the appropriate closure that everyone needs. That doesn't mean that other characters are left in the dust: far from it. I was happy to see Astrid getting a bit more to do in this movie, as she has always been my favorite of the human characters in the HTTYD world. We also get to see some incredibly touching flashback moments here between Hiccup and his father. Those moments are some of the best scenes that come out of any of the movies, and they are legitimately emotional and powerful. Most of Hiccup's friends are comedic relief rather than actual characters, but that doesn't make them awful by any means. I still find Gobber to be incessantly funny, and Fishlegs and Ruffnut actually had some good moments here, too. They weren't exactly the characters I would've expected the final movie to flesh out more, but it was a pleasant surprise nevertheless. The biggest character highlight here is, of course, Toothless himself. This cute dragon has come to be loved by all, and this movie only made me love him more.

It would be a crime to not talk about the animation of this movie. I was amazed looking back at the first movie and seeing how much the animation improved with this one. And don't get me wrong, the first movie's animation is still STELLAR. But this one is, at least in my opinion, on par with the quality of animation of any Pixar movie. The biggest animated highlight is definitely the Light Fury, who is simply a beautiful creature to look at. You can tell that the animators put a lot of work and detail into her. Because of that, she stands out as an instantly interesting character. The abilities that she has are shown in incredibly detailed and stylistic ways. Toothless also gets some cool new abilities that I won't spoil, and they are also awesomely animated. There are so many stand-out visual moments in the movie, and it would be impossible to name them all. The Hidden World was deserving of being the title of this film, as the world itself is awesome to look at. The visuals of this world made my jaw drop.

Where this movie really succeeds is in its climax right up to the ending moments. The other parts of the movie are good (and have a couple issues that are pretty minor, I'll get to that in a moment). But I would debate that the climax up until the end of the movie has some of the best material any of the three movies has to offer. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I like that the movie makes you expect one thing but then upends those expectations. My brother and I both went into this movie expecting one thing to happen, but it didn't. I was quite pleased by this not happening, as what actually ended up occurring is far more satisfying to ending off this trilogy. It hasn't been beyond HTTYD to be dark- just look at the incredibly dark places the second movie went to; it was Toothless who literally murdered Hiccup's father. "The Hidden World" doesn't ever get quite as dark as that, but that doesn't mean this movie isn't without its heavy moments. The heavy moments come, and the way they appear in this film is a little unexpected. What really made me tear up at this film, though, was the way it parallels the first one and ends up connecting everything together. We have seen Hiccup and Toothless grow up, and we have grown up along with them. So, of course, it is an emotional thing to see where they end up at. There is one particular shot from the first movie that this film parallels two times, and both times it is so effectively done. It's powerful, it's touching, and I think you'd have to be heartless to not feel emotionally hit by it. This film ends about as perfectly as it could end. Hiccup's story is given a beautiful conclusion, as is Toothless's. This movie gives the definition of an earned happy ending. It's earned because you've come to care about these characters, because of how well-developed and fully realized they are. They've gone through all the right changes, and are now both exactly where they deserve to be at.

There are not many major problems with this movie, save for the villain. That is probably the biggest issue I have with this film, as the villain here is very uninteresting. In fact, you could've almost not had a villain here, and the movie would've worked all the better for it. The best moments here were seeing our heroes interacting with one another, and I would've liked the whole movie to emphasize on it. Whenever the villain comes in or the characters have to deal with the villain, the story gets a little less interesting to me. This is mainly because the antagonist (who is admittedly well-voiced by F. Murray Abraham) is pretty much a replica of the antagonist from the second film. He's a trapper who has his own dragons that he is able to manipulate through his own devices. There really isn't anything too different about him, and he ultimately doesn't feel that intimidating. Thankfully, he is not in the movie too much, and the rest of the film is so good that it's easy to forgive this slight falter. I also feel that there are some small areas in the movie where the plot comes to a halt. This is especially apparent at some points in the middle half of the movie. However, like the villain, this isn't enough for me to dismiss these points in the movie.

I still consider the first "How To Train Your Dragon" to be one of the best modern animated films to date. It perfectly combined a child-like sense of wonder with some pretty serious and dark themes. It knew how to appeal to people both young and old, without ever pandering to either age group. Hiccup was relatable in a variety of ways, and Toothless was more than just a cute dragon. The fact that the two following movies were able to come close to it, and both have moments that were just as good, is an undeniably impressive achievement. "How To Train Your Dragon 2" blew me away with how much it went for the dark tone, which can be a risky thing to do in a series partially aiming for a younger audience. But it worked, because the movie knew how to present to children the very real presence of death. "The Hidden World" has its own serious theme: the idea of moving on and letting go. This movie was clearly made to appeal to this same young audience at older ages. The series grew up with the audience it was aiming for, showing how much the creators care. Go see this movie if you haven't. It's excellent, and provides as poignant of a conclusion as I could hope for.

J.K. Rowling: From Smart Artist to Frustrating Retconner

By: James Southworth

On June 26, 1997, the world was taken unexpectedly by storm with a book called Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by an unknown author who went by J.K. Rowling. Fast forward to 2019, and most people know Harry Potter as a household name. An incredibly successful book series and movie series have made Rowling's series one of the most treasured pieces of art in pop culture. It had vast impact, especially to my generation. People are still talking about this series, and it may be even more popular now than it was when the main series was still being created. There is something to be said for the series's longevity. Readers of this site, as well as people who know me in person, are probably aware that I'm a big fan of Harry Potter. As I've gotten older, my appreciation for the seven HP novels has only increased. But then came something that started ringing what could eventually be a death toll for people's general enjoyment of the Harry Potter series: J.K. Rowling suddenly declaring that Albus Dumbledore was, in fact, gay.

I was, of course, among those who were surprised by this statement. Where in the books was there ever an indication that Dumbledore was gay? I certainly couldn't find an inkling of an implication anywhere. J.K. Rowling argued that this was especially present in The Deathly Hallows, which detailed Dumbledore's "friendship" with eventual mass murdering wizard Grindelwald. And yet, I was still not convinced. Nor were most other people. There began an emerging conversation about why exactly Rowling was putting things into the books that were not originally there. But, the conversation about it did eventually dissipate. This was the case, at least, until the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I am somewhat ashamed to say that I own this play, which is just an absolute insipid mess. This was the first Harry Potter piece which I was ashamed to own. It reads like a rather poorly written fan-fiction. In fact, you almost could call it a fan-fiction because it was written by authors other than J.K. Rowling. But still, Rowling endorsed the story. A story that had a horrifically written plot about time travel that dominated its second half, and turns Cedric Diggory's death into something of a joke. The play is still showing, and I'd be willing to bet it's still relatively successful, because it has the Harry Potter name attached to it. But the bad reviews of it can't be ignored. This was only the beginning of my brewing frustrations with J.K. Rowling's newfound relationship to her franchise.

Around the same time that "Cursed Child" was going to be on stage, the movie "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" came out. I was very worried about this movie initially. The trailers made it seem like just a hollow cash grab and a half-hearted attempt to expand on the Harry Potter franchise. Thankfully, the movie did not live up to its badly marketed trailer. I actually really liked the movie's change of pace, giving us a protagonist who was more of an every-man rather than the ultimate chosen one. Don't get me wrong, Harry Potter is still a great protagonist, but I really liked Newt in "Fantastic Beasts" as well. I liked that the movie made America a magical world like London. Rowling knows that a significant portion of her fans are from America, so it would make sense to make a magical world that would be more like theirs. It was a smart move that felt sincere and well-executed. Like I've mentioned before, I have my problems with the movie: the tone of it can be a little all over the place, and there's an unnecessary political side plot. Also, the "twist" of Grindelwald being Johnny Depp rather than Colin Farrell was a little disheartening. But nevertheless, I still enjoyed the movie, and the general consensus seemed to be that the movie was good for what it was. I thought it would be a nice one-off movie, as all of its various characters ended in places that I thought were solid ending points. All of the main characters had their arcs. But, this apparently wasn't enough for J.K. Rowling- or for the die-hard fans. We just had to know what else happened to Newt and his friends.

This gave way to what is, in my opinion, the most significant misstep to date in Rowling's career- the movie "Crimes of Grindelwald". I already vented a lot of my frustrations about the movie in my review of it last year. However, I think it's significant to state them again for the context of this analysis. This movie made one thing abundantly clear to me: J.K. Rowling no longer cares about the integrity of her original stories. She was one of the first authors in modern day to notably embrace the fan fiction community. Now this isn't an entirely bad thing: I like the idea of an author actively conversing with people who do different versions of her work. But, this doesn't mean that Rowling needed to become a fan-fiction writer herself. That's exactly what this film felt like: a fan-fiction. And a rather bad one at that. It feels like the movie has no idea what story it wants to tell, and because of that, none of the stories really leave an impact. I still just can't get over the decision to make Nagini, Voldemort's snake, a Korean woman. It seemed that this was done just so Rowling could say that she had representation. What's even more saddening (but still unsurprising) is that Nagini didn't have a role to play in this movie. She was just background noise, a way for fans to say "Ooh look! I know that character from the original series! Yay nostalgia!". I just want to know what fans asked for this. This movie makes magic confusing, seemingly bending some of the rules that were put specifically in place in the HP world. The multiple twists that appear at the end of the movie become more and more mind-bendingly stupid. Credence is at first a Lestrange. Then he isn't. Then it's revealed Grindelwald is a sort of reflection of Hitler who also wants to end WWII and the Holocaust, but is also still a savage murderer, but is also able to convince a lot of wizards to join him. Then Queenie, in a vast change of character motivations, decides to join Grindelwald even though she has seen him murder people right before her very eyes. Then it's revealed at the end of the movie that Credence is the freaking long lost third brother of Albus Dumbledore. Just writing these awful plot developments still makes me incredibly frustrated. WHAT HAPPENED? What happened to the writer that made well-developed characters? What happened to the writer who created a vivid world that felt tangible and powerfully realistic?

I've been asking these questions to myself on and off ever since I saw "Crimes of Grindelwald". I can't emphasize to you all enough how much that movie got under my skin. My love of the Harry Potter series is significant, and the fact that a movie like this is revealing potential to kill the original series feels criminal to me. More recent news has revealed to me what I feel are probably the only motivations of Rowling now. In a recent interview, Rowling let loose a tidbit of information: that Dumbledore and Grindelwald apparently had a very "sexual" and "intimate" relationship. Where. Was. This. In. The. Books? The answer is very simple: nowhere. Absolutely nowhere. People have begun parodying Rowling now, adding their own ideas into the "Harry Potter canon". Because now, apparently, anything is permissable. I could just go and say that Voldemort was actually a representation of a repressed homosexual man, and it wouldn't be that much different from what Rowling has claimed. I mean, she's also claimed Hermione is black (even though the books- and the artwork in the books- CLEARLY point out she's white). On a more comedic note, she unnecessarily pointed out that before toilets existed, wizards just let loose on the ground and used magic to make their excrement disappear. I bet you wanted to know that, didn't you, fellow Harry Potter fan? Now don't get me wrong: I don't necessarily always mind when an author does expansions of their universe, especially when it's one as beloved as Harry Potter. But, I just can't help but feel like a lot of Rowling's decisions come out of the fact that she's forcing representation into her novels. Making Dumbledore gay, Hermione black, or Nagini a Korean woman were all things that were never made clear in the original Harry Potter series- because they were never there. Don't get me wrong: I think representation is important, incredibly important even. But Rowling is going about it all wrong. She's making up the representation out of thin air without doing any of the actual work to put it into her material. Dumbledore being gay might be slightly implied in "Crimes of Grindelwald". But it is such an inconsequential part of the movie's incomprehensible plot. Nagini might as well have been a prop, and is portrayed as subservient and quiet (which feels like a very stereotypical and disingenuous  characterization of someone of her race).

Do I still like J.K. Rowling as an author? Honestly, at this point, it's hard to say. I still love the Harry Potter series. I still believe that they're a well-written series and do about as much right as they conceivably could do. Even though there are flaws in the series, it is not significant enough for me to ever dislike them. However, it's not beyond an artist to become disastrous. George Lucas's original Star Wars series are considered classics by everyone, and yet he was also able to make movies like "The Phantom Menace" and "Attack of the Clones". M Night Shamalyan's films "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable" are considered staples in the movie landscape, but he was also able to produce laughably bad flicks like "The Happening" and "The Last Airbender". Suzanne Collins made a potent dystopian novel in "The Hunger Games", but ended the series off with the quite awful "Mockingjay". Some artists are only able to make revelations a couple of times. The thing is, with artists like these, we're willing to give them multiple chances. Shamalyan has debatedly been forgiven too many times as a director. While he has given us movies like "Split", he still has also given us frustrations like "Glass" in recent years. Star Wars fans continue to claim that George Lucas could give us better than what the new SW movies are doing now (that's a debate for another time). So, it's not too surprising that people have been willing to see what Rowling can do with an expanded HP universe. But how long will that last? How long will it be before J.K. Rowling cannibalizes her own series? I still have some hope that we can see a revival of the raw talent Rowling still should have within her. But I'm becoming more cautious about it. That is an unfortunate place to be at.

Demon Hunter "War/Peace" Double Album Review

By: James Southworth

If I haven't made it abundantly obvious by previous reviews and lists on this site, I love Demon Hunter. They are the only band on this site whose albums I've ranked in their entirety (I'm planning on doing that for more of my favorite bands this year), and that's pretty significant. I've also counted down my top 10 songs by them, and that list hasn't changed significantly. I was incredibly excited when I heard Demon Hunter would be doing a double album, a concept that seems to be getting pretty popular lately. Having 20 new DH songs is something I'm not gonna complain about. I was initially a little worried about the albums however, as both of the singles ("On My Side" from "War" and the title track from "Peace") were not really top tier quality. I shouldn't have been too worried though, as both albums are stellar and actually an improvement over "Outlive". This review will be divided into two sections. I'll start with "War", go on to "Peace", and then give some brief final thoughts.

War 
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Well, this album was a little unexpected, and in the absolute best way possible. If you've been following this band in any significant way, then you know that they have been getting a little softer in their sound ever since the release of "Extremist". Some fans have not been too hot on this, but I personally didn't mind too much with "Extremist". I will admit, however, that "Outlive" has not really aged well with me like almost every other DH release. I sort of regret that I put the release in my top 10 albums of 2017, because it didn't really deserve a spot there (although the song "Slight The Odds was more than worthy of a spot on my top 10 songs of the year). There has been a debate amongst fans as to whether it's even possible now to call the band metalcore anymore. I would agree that it's a been a bit of a stretch to put them under that genre, as they more conventionally fit under melodic heavy metal with the two aforementioned albums. However, "War" sees the band delightfully going back to their roots in a lot of moments, while occasionally showing off how they can still appeal to their fans who do prefer their newer sound. For me, the majority of this album was a delightful throwback to the old days of Demon Hunter, as sound-wise it reminded me a lot of releases like "The Triptych" and "The World is a Thorn".

The album gets off to a roaring start with "Cut to Fit", which gives you a really good idea of what you're in for on the rest of the album. I like how the band starts off with conceptually establishing the idea that "War" will be a thematically darker line with the haunting statement "War in every breath...". After that, a pounding guitar ruff and throttling drums come in to get your head almost immediately banging along. Ryan Clark's screams here really surprised me. They're higher pitched than they've been for a long time, and they sound like they have some real grit to them- unlike "Outlive", where the screams were unfortunately a little bit too sanitized, even on the more intense cuts. The chorus of this song does a solid job at combining singing and screaming together to make something that sounds both melodic and intense. I really enjoy everything about this song, and it's more proof that generally, Demon Hunter knows how to open an album on a positive note. After this, we get the lead single "On My Side". Now I did say in my precursor to my reviews that I was initially very lukewarm on this single. However, on more listens, it has grown on me significantly. It is certainly not one of my favorites from this album, but it's good for what it is. I'd certainly say it's a better lead single than cuts like "Cold Winter Sun" or "Artificial Light", both of which adhered to the DH formula in pretty cliched ways. This song doesn't necessarily do that, especially in the gorgeous chorus where Ryan actually lets his voice go into his higher register. This is something that he hardly ever does, and that is my favorite moment of the song. I do wish that more moments like that stood out here, but the verses are sadly just a little bit too same sounding in structure. The chorus does really save this song, though. My favorite song on the album, and what could become one of my favorite songs of all time by the band in the future, is "Close Enough". This song put a wide smile on my face from almost its very beginning, as this incredible guitar work begins off the song. It's not often we get to see Patrick Judge and Jeremiah Scott really just shred and show off their skills. It is a delight to hear. Also, the lyrics are quite compelling as Ryan gives a powerful message about how we need to live for God in every waking moment: "I’ve learned to count this all/Lead the fight and heed my call again/No time to waste in vain because/Every time I bleed is close enough". It's typical of DH to give bold messages like this, and I feel like they always do it in a way that can relate to a variety of listeners. The best part of this song, though, is the breakdown. I haven't heard a breakdown from the band like this since "God Forsaken". It is a BANGER, and was what really made me certain this song was my favorite. If you hear nothing else on this album, at least listen to this track!

There are still plenty of tracks to commend here. "Unbound" may be a little too repetitive in the lyrical department for my taste, but I do appreciate that Ryan's screaming is varied in style. Also, the guitar riffs almost bring to mind thrash metal in a way, something the band hasn't attempted for a while. "Gray Matter" is a simply beautiful rocker. It has a pretty solid groove to it, and stays engaging throughout its run time. I'm not sure if I agree with the message here- that Ryan feels like morality is a very black and white thing, and there are no grey areas- but this is typical fare for Demon Hunter. They are not a band who compromises on their messages. This is the group who also said "Not one of you bastards has a cross to bear" and compared embracing the way the modern world is running to willingly tying a noose around your neck. I can respect that even after 20 years, the band is not mellowing out on their messages. The fact that this song is so engaging actually still makes it a favorite of mine, even if the message doesn't entirely line up with my beliefs. "Ash" will make even the hardest to please DH fans smile, as this is one of the most intense songs the band has ever done. It's right in line with "The World is a Thorn" and "Storm the Gates of Hell". I just can't imagine people being turned off by this cut. "The Negative" is another track where the chorus is almost too repetitive, but DH still finds a way to make it compelling through the musical dynamics. This song has a lot of Slipknot influence, and its huge guitar licks make it too fun to dislike. The album ends off on a very intriguing note with the bone chilling cut "Lesser Gods". This song has some of the quietest moments from Demon Hunter, as well as some of the most gut wrenchingly intense. It creates a dissonant feeling that works well for the brutal subject matter of the song. It's a cool way to end off the album. Just like DH knows how to begin in album, they also tend to know how to leave an impact on you with the closing cut.

There are a few problem areas on the album for me. One is, in general, the lyricism. I alluded to this a couple times in my review, but I feel like the choruses especially are relied upon way too much. The verses aren't given sufficient time to shine for the most part. This is especially apparent of cuts like "Unbound" and "The Negative". I just think back to some of the lyrical content the band has had in other albums, and this one doesn't match up to other albums in terms of lyrical depth. There are a few specific tracks that don't work for me. I think "Leave Me Alone" had some real potential, but unfortunately that potential was squandered by the song meandering for too long. The song is nearly six minutes, and the content doesn't quite justify the length for me. "No Place for You Here" is what you've come to expect from the sound of Demon Hunter. It's sadly run of the mill for them, and I'm somewhat surprised this didn't become the lead single due to how it sounds like their formula. This isn't a good thing, as on cuts like this, it feels like DH is relying on the formula like a crutch.

Overall, "War" is such a good, even great, listen. There are plenty of moments here to enjoy, particularly in the slightly better first half of the album. If you're a fan who has been missing DH's older sound, then you'll get that in significant amounts on this release. I highly recommend it!

Favorite Songs: "Close Enough", "Lesser Gods", "Grey Matter", "Cut to Fit", "Ash"
Least Favorite Songs: "No Place for You Here", "Leave Me Alone"

Peace
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

When Demon Hunter announced the titles of their two new albums, I had a feeling that "War" would be the more intense album, while "Peace" would show off the softer side of the band. I was definitely right on that front, but even then, "Peace" still managed to surprise me- and mostly in a good way. This is by far the band's softest release to date. There's only one song on here with some screaming; the rest are entirely comprised of clean vocals. The band fully embraces the sound they were going for here, and there are some cool moments of experimentation on this album. For that reason, this album mostly works and ends up shining brighter than "Outlive", although its not quite as good as its "War" counterpart.

The album begins with the second half of the band's overall conceptual statement. For "War" the quote was "War in every breath". For "Peace", the statement is "Peace in only death". Though that statement might sound just as, if not more, bleak than "War"'s quote, the album overall is far from bleak. In fact, in many places this might be the band's most optimistic album. The opening track "More Than Bones" is an immediate indicator of that. It has some really well-executed electronic flourishes and one of the band's most upbeat and happy sounding guitar riffs they've done. I love the subject matter of the song, as Ryan talks in the perspective of God who assures the listener that they will not just be a human body when they die. This album seeks to give listeners comfort about the concept of death throughout a lot of its run time. "Loneliness" was a song I started out unsure about, but I think I've really started to appreciate what it does on repeat listens. It's a quiet song that subtly creeps up on the listener in a good way. I particularly like the moments on the song where it goes really quiet and just emphasizes on Ryan's singing. I'll admit, in some moments on this album we get some of Ryan's best clean vocal work to date. This song is one example of that. I also like that the song almost plays out like a Psalm from the Bible, as Ryan is just plaintively questioning God, not in a condescending way, but like he's truly trying to understand what plans God has for Him. It's a rather powerful moment of vulnerability that shouldn't go unnoticed. "When The Devil Come" seems like the band's second attempt at their controversial cut "Hell Don't Need Me", and this time the attempt works. Whereas I really found the latter track to be quite a chore to get through on "Extremist", the former works well within the context of "Peace". The odd western vibe this song has immediately stuck out, and it surprisingly just works. I'm not quite sure that I can sufficiently explain it; just hear it for yourself.

The second half of this album has some pretty great moments as well. "Two Ways" is the most "intense" cut on this album, but that's only because it has some small moments of screaming. For the most part, this song is a straight up rock cut, and I like it pretty well. The song has a nice driving guitar riff, and the chorus is probably one of the most catchy on this album. "Recuse Myself" is actually another one of my favorite moments on the album, as it embraces electronic and synth work in a highly compelling way. The song is emotionally compelling and has some truly gorgeous moments in it. I love Ryan Clark's vocal performance here as well. But the best song on here easily goes to "Fear Is Not My Guide". Never did I think that DH would do another piano ballad. To be honest, I'd been desiring one for ages, especially with "The Tide Began to Rise" being one of my favorite ballads of all time (as well as one of my favorite songs by the band). So, hearing this song almost brought tears to my eyes. That's because Ryan's vocal performance is just so assured and powerful without him even trying. He gets to some of lowest vocal tones here that I've heard from him, and because he is vocally more of a bass, these lower notes are startlingly superb. I adore the lyrics of this song, and they may be the best lyrics that appear on "War" and "Peace" combined: "When time outruns my soul/I don’t have to hide/Fear is not my guide/I won’t be made to hold/Any word inside". This song is an excellent ending to the album, as it is emotionally gripping and incredibly poignant.

I do have some problems with this album, however, and they're a bit more significant than "War". While I do think there are more lyrical moments on this release that are better written than "War", there are still several songs here that are far too repetitive. This is true even of the tracks I like, such as "More Than Bones" and "Two Ways". The musicality here can also sometimes get a little boring in places. This is especially apparent on "I Don't Believe You", which drones on and on. It's a bit of a chore to get through this song, especially with the filler "no" that's done way to often in the chorus. I don't quite know what the band was going for on this track, but I don't care for it. "Bet My Life" is a bit too generic for my test, and doesn't really fit what I feel to be the band's personality. It just doesn't feel like they put on a convincing performance here. "Time Only Takes" has a pretty cliched sentiment, and feels like it could've benefited from being cut down in length (ironically). I'm still pretty conflicted on my feelings about the title track. I can't say I dislike it, but I can't quite fully admit I like it either. There's some good moments in it (like the song's dynamic ending), but there's also some moments I don't care for- particularly the pretty unengaging chorus.

While "Peace" is not quite as good as "War", I still have a lot of respect for it. It doesn't really look like Demon Hunter was looking to please anyone with this album, and instead did an album full of stuff they wanted to try out. When this album was experimental was when it worked best. While there are some dull spots here, I still can't say that I was underwhelmed by this album; in fact, I like a great deal of it. For that reason, I also invite you to check this album out.

Favorite Songs: "Fear Is Not My Guide", "Recuse Myself", "When The Devil Come", "Loneliness", "More Than Bones"
Least Favorite Songs: "I Don't Believe You", "Time Only Takes", "Bet My Life"

Overall Thoughts
I had high expectations, as I always do, for these two Demon Hunter albums. Thankfully, this band mainly delivered those expectations, and even surpassed them and surprised me on specific cuts. If I had to give an overall rating for both albums, I would lean towards a strong 4/5 stars with high recommendations for both albums. It's been 20 amazing years for this band. Let's all hope for many more to come!

While She Sleeps "So What?" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 5/5 Stars

In 2017, I had one of my proudest musical discoveries: While She Sleeps. When I heard their album "You Are We" in full, my jaw dropped to the floor as I listened to what I still consider to be a highly original and innovative metalcore album. It honors the conventions of the genre while also finding ways to make said conventions sound refreshing. "Steal the Sun" has made its way into my Top 100 Songs of All Time at this point. Yeah, it's that good. So, to say I was excited but also slightly nervous for the band's new album "So What?" was an understatement. I mean, after all, how could they match up to an album as nearly pitch perfect as "You Are We"? Well, the answer to that question is that they released an album that is just as good. I'm happy to say that WSS has released yet another album that I can give a perfect score.

To be entirely honest, any fears I had about this album paling in comparison to YAW should have been put to rest with the lead single "Anti-Social", which also happens to be the opening track on this album. This song is definitely the one that comes closest to the sounds of the band's previous album, but still works well thematically in context of this album. In 2017, I described "You Are We" as an album we needed for that year, one that said that we needed to come together with the things that we have in common rather than our differences. Even though the album had a justified anger to it, all in all it was a rather optimistic album. This album isn't quite as optimistic in its themes (at least in its beginning half), as it seems like the band is going on rants against everyone and everything. And yet, it still turns out to be a delightful listen, and the band's anger isn't coming from an exaggerated place. "Anti-Social" is an INCREDIBLE song, getting the listener immediately hyped for what is to come for the rest of the release. The pulsating guitar riffs make you want to head bang along instantly, and the frantic drumming adds to that effect. Of course, Lawrence Taylor and Sean Long are both instantly recognizable as they trade off vocals skillfully throughout this track. What is most interesting about this song is its rap segment that works better than it had any right to. And then after that rap segment, the song explodes to life again in a delightful way and ends off on quite the incredible breakdown. Taylor even lets loose some darkly clever satire as he thanks headphones for being a way to drown out all the pointless noise and hatefulness of the world. I could see this being a clever meta-commentary on the reason that the band makes music. After this, we get a song that I may actually like even better than the previous one, "I've Seen It All". The insane guitar work that begins the song off hooked me in right away, and the chorus is one of the quickest to hook any listener in. This album does have a bit more accessibility to it than "You Are We" in my opinion, as this album is the first indicator of the more hard rock core this album has. Make no mistake: this album rocks HARD. It keeps the intensity amped up to 100 throughout the whole run time. Just listen to "I've Seen It All", and try to convince me that this track doesn't make you sing along right away. I love the way this song progresses throughout and stays consistently unpredictable.

"Inspire" introduces the first bit of electronic experimentation we see popping up in certain places on the rest of the album. The usage of electronics is definitely at its heaviest in this song, though. On first listen, I wasn't quite sure what to think of the song. It wasn't the first track that popped out to me. But rest assured, this song is still really good. In fact, it has some of the most intriguing lyricism of the album: "We've been grazed by the outbreak/We've been nettled by the fakes/Snakes and mistakes and time again we've shown/You can't even wait till the dust has settled". The album continues on full steam ahead with the title track, which is one of the most significant highlights in an album chock full of stellar songs. The hook of "Did you know you'll never know?" feels like a pointed call out to those who feel so confident in the view point they hold that they'll never give it up. I think this song could most clearly be a commentary against religion, which would make sense as WSS establishes in "Anti-Social" how they're sick of religion. I don't entirely agree with the commentary the band makes of course, but I can't say that it's presented in a bad way either. The band still very much so has unity on their band, even if they are more cynical in the beginning half of this release on the possibility of achieving it. Plus, the guitar riff that plays throughout this song is one of the most intricate and interesting riffs I've heard in recent memory. It. Is. Excellent. Another one of favorite songs comes in the constantly unpredictable and interesting "The Guilty Party". It uses electronics like "Inspire", but I do think I prefer the way this track uses them. I particularly like the transition from synths to guitar work in the endlessly singable chorus. I like how this song says that we are all guilty of something in one way, so if anything, we should be united in our guilt and try to find ways of working through it together. Once again, this is a darker way of presenting unity, but I think it's a necessary framing. Sometimes being united by our struggles makes us stronger than anything else. The band clearly states this with the thematic statement "I don't need to feel like I can't do this all on my own". We don't have to feel alone in our fights when there are other people around us fighting the same battles we are. This is powerful stuff.

"Haunt Me" was the second single of the album, and this track continues to make me think, as it has some of the most symbolic and poetic lyrics written on this album: "It's the dose that makes it poisonous/It tastes bitter but we're keeping our head above the surface/We're still alive although we've been bitten/It's like a sickness written into our anatomy". The guitar work in this song almost makes it feel like it could belong in the classic metal age; in fact, this whole song does feel musically like an ode to classic metal. This song has grown on me the most significantly out of any track on the album. If you've missed the more metalcore While She Sleeps on this album, then you'll adore the furious song "Elephant". This is definitely the most intense song on the album, and the intensity is necessary. The band holds nothing back on this song, as Lawrence screams out: "How many times do I have to disobey to be saved?/We're already the cause but we call it a mistake, I believed it/Even if it's just a figure of our imagination/The ground we walk is sacred but the grave we make is closer to hell". That's some amazing commentary right there, explicitly criticizing us for the way we have ruined the world and have ruined each other. This song is the most hopeless on the album, the one that wallows the most in despair. Thankfully, this album does conceptually have redemption in its incredible ending, starting with the very hopeful "Set You Free". This song really does see the band embracing the possibility of people accepting one another and setting each other free from their insecurities. All this is done behind a gorgeous guitar riff that brings to mind "Hurricane". "Good Grief" sees the band actually embracing a sense of companionship with others in the most melodic and softest moment on the album. I adore this song for how simplistic it is, as that makes this one stand out in a different way. "Back of My Mind" Sees Lawrence Taylor becoming the spokesperson for everyone who needs it. The band has found a reason to care, whereas in the beginning album the band was ranting against everything to do with society. "Gates of Paradise" is a song I can't really put into words in this review. It's the band's most musically intricate track to date, and my favorite on the album. Just listen to it, and you'll know why it's my favorite.

Did I expect While She Sleeps to release another perfect album? No, I did not. I don't expect that of any band, as it's nearly impossible to do. And yet, this band does it. They released an album full of songs that are able to be fun and thematically deep at the same time. You can head bang along to so many tracks here. But other times, you'll be wanting to pay attention to the lyrics here as this album is so well-written. While She Sleeps compelling answered the cynical question of "So What?", giving us reasons why we need to care about each other. They just needed to wade through the cynicism and anger first, but the journey was more than worth it. The pessimistic and optimistic sides of this album both offer great ideas and thoughts about society that are important to hear from one of the most interesting voices in metalcore. Please, check this album out!

Favorite Songs: "Gates of Paradise", "The Guilty Party", "So What?", "I've Seen It All", "Anti-Social", "Set You Free"
Least Favorite Songs: NONE