Word Razor Press- Music reviews from a different angle

Institute- Distort Yourself

4.4

Alrighty, well, let’s begin by saying that I listened to this CD several times over the past couple weeks, but, upon deciding to write the review tonight, I decided to give it a go once more. I began this process by pouring a glass of wine. As you will soon discover, that was a fabulous decision on the part of my intuition.

With a glass of wine in hand, while listening to the first song Bullet-Proof Skin, I thought to myself, “Huh, I remember this CD totally sucking.” I suppose it was the lyrics that deceived me into thinking such a thought, for I am a sucker for the following thoughts embedded in these particular lyrics: A waste of joy I could hardly stand/ Been looking for the ramp for my escape/ And, animals, so close to perfection, they’re the only ones who seem to know their heart. To me, this guy is promoting the usage of one’s intuition, or bare minimum, one’s inner driving force (whatever that looks like to you, Mr. Reader). I appreciate this motion, and therefore, at the time, the semi-decent lyrics of this first song must have blinded me of how terribly constructed the story-telling music was. I should have been warned by other lyrics in the same song reading: to lose you is to never love again as well as bullet-proof skin, to keep you alive. Maybe it’s me, but such one-sided, or rather, fatalistically conclusive lyrics hint at a false sincerity or false reality of life’s experiences.

Moving on, the second song forced the reality of this band into my view. I thought to myself, “this music sounds like that of every half-way decent high school rock band to have ever existed.” The music in this song, When Animals Attack, was equally as terrible as the lyrics. The music sounds like that of Alkaline Trio gone straight rock. Now, I enjoy the Alkaline Trio, I do, however, I listen to them when in that unique angsty, bitter mood that creeps into me from time to time - not because I think they are great musicians. The Institute’s poor music is admittedly perhaps “dark,” and definitely “bitter,” however, it wants to be far too serious to actually be taken seriously. *At this point in my listening, I decided I needed a refill on my glass of wine*

The third track, Come On Over, was the worst track musically, thus far on the album. “Guitar part, lyric, guitar part, lyric, repeat, repeat, repeat.” Not only was the music boring, but the lyrics were just as monotonous: Strangest beauty in the strangest places.../ Strangest beauty in the empty spaces.

By track number four I was feeling super stupid for previously having the thought (while listening to track number one), “Huh. I remember this CD totally sucking” The fact that I thought that was embarrassing to myself, let alone the fact that I am admitting to it. However, in the end, (perhaps this is my personality rearing its ugly head), I realized I was correct in assuming that this CD was not so good. Ironically enough, the only fragment of a lyric that I resonated with reads: Poisoned by assumption...

The following track was described musically by my boyfriend as sounding “totally like Bush.” The line: Love is stronger than hate. seems to hold quite a bit of substance - as much as the listener allots, for sure. However, even if I allow this statement to be as weighty as possible, it’s simply not “enough” for me. I need more substance in lyrics in order for me to be able to connect with the story or emotions being musically narrated.

The next song, Boom Box forces the following thought into my mind: “I should learn to play guitar, write twelve songs, and record a far better album - all in one day’s work!” This song - no, this album, seems to give me the impression that this notion is do-able. My boyfriend felt the need to qualify my negative perception of this album with the comment “He’s doing what he can. We don’t know his level of intellect.” I think this comment says more than all my descriptive words combined. * Refill on the glass of wine ensues*

Track seven, as well as eight, fit the bill of an apocalyptic nature. I understand that “an album” typically has one “sound” that congeals the individual songs together, but this album literally seems to have ONE sound - both musically as well as lyrically. * Refill, once again, needed.*

The ninth track has something of a different nature to it. It actually sounds somewhat honest - not overly bitter or serious. If I plead insanity, can I still crash at your place? seems like a simple line in some crappy song. However, within this album, to me, it was monumental, for it was the first time that I felt any remote sense of empathy, or connection with the writer of this song. With that said, though, at this point, I was completely bored by the whole “this is the end” imagery/lyrical content/verbatim repetition.

The following song instilled within me some slight sense of hopefulness based on the title alone, I admit it. Secrets and Lies, to me, gave me hope that this song would connect within me on some personal level. Much in the same way that all those Dashboard Confessional songs did - whether we wish to admit that fact or not. I was disappointed by this song in the end, however, based on my unusual hopefulness with this album.

At this point in time, my CD player decided it, too, was bored with the monotonous sound this album radiated, and therefore it couldn’t handle it and decided to skip like fucking crazy throughout this whole song. Not necessarily to my surprise, but more to my liking, the song’s sped-up nature was a welcome surprise, and not so much a frustration. The lyrics were able to be discerned, and I was soon disappointed in their content. I mean, likening freedom in life to being in a circus seems a bit played-out to me, and not much resonates within me with such a metaphor.

Finally, track number twelve turned everything around! Not really, actually not at all. Although the sound was discernibly slightly different in its composition (a tiny bit less rock, a bit more ambient) it was still the same ‘ol, same ‘ol. At the conclusion of the parting song, I felt like grabbing another glass of wine as means of mere recuperation.

I apologize in advance (actually, this apology is in the conclusion...) for detailing each and every song, however, I wanted to instill in you, the reader, exactly the same feeling that I felt throughout this whole album - a small amount of discontentment combined with a great deal of disappointment.

This has been a product of my percpetion.  What's your's...

Sarah B.

The Institute- Distort Yourself

3.5

"When animals attack, you need fire."  Yeah.  Wait?!  WFT???

I think that if I was told that i was allowed to ask Gavin Rossdale, the former frontman of Bush (and currently frontman of the Institute), one question then it would be this..."When you try to write lyrics do you MEAN to make them as non-sensical as possible or do you really think that there are going to be people out there that get this stuff?"  I mean c'mon!  And that's just my impression of the first song!  Upon the first listen through I found myself smiling at some of the songs because they were just so stinking stupid.  I mean seriously, does this crap make sense to him?  Because honestly it just kind of makes me wonder if he has always been this stupid and just attractive to the ladies and therefore successful or if he had a legitimate talent with the other guys in Bush.

Personally, I think it was mostly because they were one of the "pretty" bands in the early nineties that appealed to the girls and the jocks alike, so they were therefore "good".  That's sincerely how this album makes me feel.  Right time + right sound + right circumstances = hit band.  Gavin, you are losing all sort of credibility from me with this release.  Sorry man.  You should have stayed retired or whatever you were doing.  Just sit back and let Gwen rake in the big bucks.  At least her songs appeal to people (mostly preteen girls) no matter how stupid they are (the songs, not the preteen girls, well...nah, I'll just leave that alone). 

Ok, now some high points for the album... oh geez... I guess the one thing that I liked about the album is that the songs were distinctive from one another.  Yeah, that's it.  A couple of the songs at the end of the disc were vastly different than the rest, although I refuse to look up the names because once I get through with this I plan on NEVER listening to this disc again.

Ok, low points... Kris, is there a space limit?  Obviously not, I just looked at Sarah's rather lengthy summary of the disc and it appears that we are of the same mind that this disc is terrible.  The music is boring.  The singing is boring.  [Insert another aspect of the album] is boring.

On my first listen through of this CD I wanted to like it.  By the end, I was DREADING having to listen to it again and as a matter of fact, I am listening to it for the second time right now.  Thanks for nothing Kris. 

I'll give this disc a 3.5, but just because I liked that old Bush song Glycerine.  Yes, I'm serious.

And for those about to rock, I salute you...
Zac B.

Gojira- From Mars To Sirius

7.9

Gojira, for those who haven’t heard of them (which is probably everyone) is a French metal band. I can’t speak for everyone, but I was a little concerned to hear that little fact. I can be a bit of a metalhead at times and I’m at least semi familiar with the European metal scene (hears looking at you Norway, Sweden, and German). France just isn’t the first place I would have expected quality metal to come from…how wrong I was.

Let me start by saying that I have a hard time describing the power of this band. They blew me away right from the start (though my opinion evened out a little over time), but I have a hard time finding comparisons to their sound. There is certainly an element of bands like Mastodon, especially in the vocals, but their sound is more than just that. They encompass elements of a lot of different metal, even touching on hints of metalcore at times (but in a good way). Don’t think for a second that this is a cookie-cutter band. Listening to the album you will constantly feel like certain elements of the sound are familiar, yet I can’t quite put a finger on exactly what the comparison is.

Be prepared for some very powerful, catchy riffing (imagine some of the best elements of Mastodon here). The guitarwork is solid overall. There is also some great drumwork as well. The drummer may not blow your mind at times, but if you listen closely you’ll find some interesting things, especially with his use of the bass drum. There is an avoidance of using a straight “play as fast as possible” double-bass beat (though he shows he can at times), but there are almost riff-like parts on the bass drum at times.

All that stated (and that last paragraph was almost pointless at times), this is a good band. Why didn’t I rate it higher, you ask? Well, the vocals and song structure is a good place to start. There are basically no choruses anywhere to be found here. I don’t understand why heavy bands are so afraid of a good chorus. Is there really something wrong with making your song memorable? I think not. The combination of that, with some unintelligible (though powerful) vocals at times, makes the songs sort of run together at points. That happens even though the music stays pretty unique and diverse throughout the album, especially for a metal band. There are points where I think the production of the guitars could be beefed up as well, though it is far from poor.

All in all, this is a very quality showing from these boys. Through research, you’ll find these guys are veterans, as this is their 3^rd album. I just hope that better North American distribution is coming and we can also only hope for a United States tour (I’d drive a long way to see this show). If you are into bands like Mastodon or you just want a good powerful metal album, chock full of catchy riffs from some French guys who like to sing (in English) about water and the environment then it is very much worth your effort to track this one down.

It doesn't matter, none of this matters...

Kris

Death Cab For Cutie- Plans

7.9

There are certain combinations of sounds in music that immediately pull at your tear ducts, quicken your breath a little, create a lump in your throat, and make you think, “I’m FEELING this.” Not in that cheeseball, Blink-182 version of "Feelin’ This", but in that way that seems as though this silly little piece of music has commandeered your emotions for 3 ½ minutes. Death Cab for Cutie on their new album, Plans, evoke the cinematic feel of a very well-written movie score. Immediately upon listening to this album from the beginning, you want to take it traveling with you, preferably somewhere with beautiful scenery.

The opening of the album, Marching Bands of Manhattan goes onto my playlist alongside Next Exit by Interpol and Sometimes by My Bloody Valentine as Songs I Will Play the First Time I Enter New York City. The thing that impresses me about Death Cab for Cutie is that they successfully layer sounds upon each other and even dabble in synth and sound effects without sounding corny, overpowering, or false. Different Names for the Same Place features a strong, hollow echo that is used so well that you can honestly picture Ben Gibbard singing it while sitting at a beat-up piano in the middle of an abandoned train station.  This, ladies and gentlemen, is what happens when effects are used correctly. The only song where I would say that the amount of sound effects border (but thankfully never cross into) “overproduction” territory is on the single Soul Meets Body. This song also takes you somewhere, but this place serves crab rangoons and kung pao chicken. Another questionable one is the New Pornographers soundalike Crooked Teeth. I am a big fan of the NP but this track sounds horribly out of place alongside the rest of the album. My vote is that this track would have been better served as a b-side (side dish?) for Soul Meets Body.

Lyrically, the album is strong, and well balanced, considering especially that the songs that excel lyrically are the musically weakest. On the track, What Sarah Said, a graphic, melancholy description of a hospital almost made me cry. Here, more than anywhere, you are taken where the song takes place. I Will Follow You Into the Dark is a nice love song for the rest of us, despite the fact that musically it sounds like an unfortunate something from Open Mic Nite.

Despite the fact that the album has its occasional missteps (and what album doesn’t), this gets a thumbs-up from me and will accompany me on my next road trip to Nowhere-In-Particular.

iPod, therefore I am.

Kristin C.

Death Cab For Cutie- Plans

5.6

You know that part in the movie where the guy you're pulling for is driving away and he's crying, maybe punching the steering wheel and talking to himself, but then he has his moment of clarity and he realizes that maybe he's the one being the ass, so he turns around (usually with a near head-on collision, squealing tires, honking horns and some guy yelling "watch it jackass!"), only to get hom and find her in bed with the guy from her office whom he had accused her of cheating with?  Every song on this record could be the background music in that part of the next 11 movies soon to be in a theatre near you.  Not that the record is bas, it's just not that great.  I'm so sick of this smooth pop, "The Bends" era Radiohead sound.  I was about to just call it crap and be done with it...

Now don't get me wrong, like I said, it wasn't bad, it's just really samey (I know that's not a word).  Every time I listened to it I found myself missing half the album.  There's just nothing there to grab your attention.  The lyrics are pretty good, the beats are fantastic, there's just nothing "rock n' roll" about the music...

I guess I find myself perplexed, I mean Death Cab is the big Indie Rock break through band and I just don't think they're that spectacular.  Maybe it's my age?  I saw what the industry did to "Alternative" in the early 90's when it went from Sonic Youth, Pavement and The Pixies to Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.  Essentially weeding out anything that a football player wouldn't want to listen to on the way to the big game.  It's just the opposite here, weeding out anything a cheerleader wouldn't want to listen to on her way to giver herself to the start quarterback.  I'm not a purist, I've got no problem with progress.  I liked "The Clouds Taste Metallic" and much as "Yoshimi".  I just think the media blitz on Death Cab has more to do with cash than with sound.  Go to iTunes and download (or find them for free, I don't really care) Marching Bands of Manhatten, I Will Follow You Into The Dark and What Sarah Said.  These songs are good I think, really good, but I don't think you'll find your $.99 well spent on any of the rest of them.

I really did see Big Foot once...

Rob G.

Thrice- Vheissu

2.2

Those of us who have been listing to music for a while will not be impressed. I haven't heard their last three albums and this one doesn't make me want to. Honestly there is nothing that would even make me want to hear this one a second time except that I have to.

Track 1 (Image of the Invisible) is, for lack of a better term, lame as crap. On and on with this screaming of one line, of course it's the title of the song. Then the obvious cheese fest of the abrupt stop to start the chorus, add in the obligatory whisper part and the weird high guitar part and there you have it the perfect formula for a hard rock song for our currently unamed decade. Track 2, I don't know what it's name is but it's pretty boring and forgettable so we'll forget about it. Track 3 (The Earth Will Shake) had a hint of something cool at the beginning with a muffled acoustic guitar and vocals but that quickly turned into more of the same.

The redemption for this album, if there is any, is track 4 (Atlantic) which aside from the corny vocals has kind of a cool sad, arty movie soundtrack sound to it, but those kind of songs are a dime a dozen and this one certainly doesn't stand out. If you like the real hardcore stuff then you'd probably like track 6 (Hold Fast Hope) but judging from the rest of  the record there is likely something better out there so don't waste your money.

All in all, using the desert island theory, I'll give it a 2.2 mainly because I know there's worse out there. Were I stranded on a desert island with this album it would likely become a source of heat. If your twelve and you've never heard music you'll love it, but those of us who have heard music have heard this one many many times.

I saw bigfoot once...
Rob G.

August Burns Red- Thrill Seeker

6.5

August Burns Red is a relatively new band (this being their second release) and me being the non-metalhead that I am, I though it was a decent album.  Your Little Suburbia Is In Ruins, A Shot Below The Belt, and Speech Impediment were probably my favorite songs on the album and the instrumental song, Eve Of The End, was nice too, I thought.  I enjoy the breakdowns from this album throughout and I though that overal the whole thing was well done.  I don't have anything overwhelmingly positive to say about the disc though.  Nothing really pops out at my through listening to it besides the line I'm throwing punces with a blind fold on.  My biggest complaint about the whole disc is that if you don't have a lyric sheet in front of you when you are listening then it is nearly impossible to understand a thing he is screaming the whole time, which isn't a bad thing, but isn't really my style.  It is a nice cd to kind of listen to vaguely in the background and when I did that, I realized all of a suddent that my head would be nodding in rhythm with the song, which was kind of suprising and I don' think I would mind seeing this band perform live. 

I have heard and read that people say that this band sounds like a lot of other bands out there and from what I have heard of the genre I would say that is a justifiable comment, but I think that they pull if off very well.  The breakdowns, guitar parts and drumming all sound like they really took their time and made sure it all came together nice and tidy.

Overall, I think that they pull it off and maybe if I were into this music more so than I am, I could justify a rating higher than 6.5, but I think that I would rather listen to a band that I can understand and sing along to without shredding my vocal chords (which I have a tendency to do in the car, in the dark, at shows and pretty much whenever the feeling strikes me).

And for those about to rock, I salute you...
~Zac B.

August Burns Red- Thrill Seeker

1.5

Adam Dutkiewicz, I HATE you!

Ok, I'm really glad to get that out of the way.  For those who don't know Adam D, let's give a little background.  First off, he plays guitar in a drastically overated and overhyped band called Killswitch Engage.  Second off, he is also the producer of seemingly every overated and bland metal-core album to be released in the last 2-3 years.  He is, of course, the producer of the album I'm reviewing for all my loyal readers today. 

Adam ruins albums, there is no other way around it.  Every single album he produces (and there and truckloads of them) all end up sounding exactly the same.  He helps create bland, boring, interchangable albums. The bands themselves may not sound the same, but once Adam gets ahold of them, they will.  His production never changes.  He never caters to the strengths of the bands or their songs.  It's pretty much as if he has one standard setup and list of settings on all his equipment...and that is all he uses.  I just don't understand why people keep letting him produce their albums.  I guess the name gets a few extra albums sales (as he is a producer who is ALWAYS listed on the back cover of an album) or maybe some scene cred.  I don't know and I don't care.  He may be a nice guy, but his band isn't very good and his production is amazingly mediocre.

Now, back to the album.  Zac summed up so many things in his review, he basically stated the exact problem with this album and didn't even know it.  If you are new to metal-core, you may enjoy this album.  If you are like me and have been around the metal-core block a few times, I advise suicide before being forced to listen to this piece of trash. 

For the past couple of years, metal-core has evolved into a joke.  Every band just rips off every other band and no one seems to breathe an ounce of life or originality into the genre.  Metal-core, the dead carcass that just keeps getting eaten away.  These bands just pop up like weeds and they are all the same.  Have you head Unearth or As I Lay Dying, if so, you've already heard August Burns Red.  There is nothing worth listening to here.  I honestly don't think this could band could sound more like As I Lay Dying unless they were doing covers.  You've heard this album a million times before and so have I.

Yes, the music is tight, the drums are decent, the double-bass is there, but it's all the same. I've heard it before, it's overdone. Blah blah blah, boring boring boring. Decent musicians do not make good songwriters. There is nothing catchy or interesting on this album. Not even the drumming caught my interest at any point.

Zac is right about the vocals, you might as well forget understanding a single word here.  This is another problem I just can't get past.  This is also all the rage in metal-core and indie metal in general.  Why do bands not feel any need to enunciate the lyrics (or put the vocals up in the mix)?  Would it just kill you to possible let us understand a few words?  (Here's looking at you: Norma Jean, Converge, Dillinger Escape Plan, The Chariot, As I Lay Dying, etc, etc, etc).  I love heavy music and I love metal, but I also love to be able to scream or sing along.  You might as well forget it here. 

Maybe the problem is the lyrics?  I don't know.  I've done vocals in heavy bands before.  Are you afraid people might understand and critique your lyrics?  Are you ashamed of them?  I just don't get it.  Anyone who has half a brain realizes that if you can just give someone a few memorable lines to hold onto, they are much more likely to remember and like your song.

I can't tell you enough times not to buy this album.  Don't even burn it from your friend or go see them live.  Maybe if we start ignoring all these copy cat bands, they might go away??  I doubt it, but we can all at least try.  I'll start the movement, who's with me?

It doesn't matter, none of this matters...

Kris R.