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Rating:
I wonder how they continue to talk about, celebrate, and release singles from a useless album even last year, which came out more than three years ago. Leaving aside the typical introduction about the band that everyone knows, I'll just say that this is the second album after the first self-titled one by semi-unknowns released in 2002.
Many have panicked or lost sleep trying to define this and other bands. Do they play metal? No, maybe punk? Not even close... Then emocore? But which one? This is nothing more than a rock album like many others without any fuss. The ten tracks are as dull as the music market can offer. Generally, from a rock band, you expect some solos, tempo changes, but none of that; the group with instruments in hand can't do anything amazing! But what irritates the most is the repetition of the same structures of the songs that repeat from the beginning to the end of the album without any change.
Take the opening track "Attack", okay, nice and very catchy, I must admit.. But let's move on from track two to the last one, what do you notice? Incredible but true the songs are all the same. Sure, there are slower songs and not, but the structure of the pieces remains unchanged following a predetermined pattern: always calm verse, fake angry chorus in which the frontman strains his voice (note how the singer in the various songs is fixated on repeating always the two key words in the choruses that immediately get into your head, see in "Attack" the "run away run away" etc etc) and then the central part of the compositions which is really bad and terribly static. As for the individual songs, what can I say, all terribly catchy and glossy that quickly get on your nerves, having to save something, I save the already mentioned "Attack" and little else. From the second track onwards, a frightening copy and paste starts, a poorly executed recycling of ideas. The much-acclaimed "The kill" (I don't care if their videos quote cinema greats, the notes matter) has only the basic melody as noteworthy perhaps (even if the ending of the song vaguely resembles the basic riff of the piece "Smile in your sleep" by Silverstein), then everything is irritating starting from the sticky refrains to the 'magnificent' final screaming just to show they're tough and attract new recruits. Question mark: what's the point of this vocal technique grafted on nothing more than a classic rock sound? The answer is simple: years ago, to sell, you had to spice up your works with electronic effects and season everything with frequent guitar walls typical of nu, today, screams for the sake of it are in vogue and ours ride this wave greatly. Otherwise, they let us know what the third commandment of the fake emo bands bible is after the circus-like look and long, unpronounceable titles: namely, the constructed screaming.
The other interesting points come from a decent "Savior" with an anthemic refrain and finally not 'screamed' pardon the term, while the melodic "The Fantasy", drowned in a useless broth, is appreciated, however, for its playfulness and cheerfulness that emerges in the choruses, almost pop-punk-like. The worst of the worst is heard (or rather felt? It's the same) with the two singles "The Fantasy" and "A Beautiful Lie", touted by many as the best on the platter, are incredibly dreadful. Someone here would call it pop masked behind the big guitars, no I don't want to be so banal. Rather, from here all the flaws afflicting the group emerge: production, vocals, and low compositional level (already said before). The production is terribly botched and overproduced, moreover, the sounds are misaligned, shifting from low to high tones (of the refrains) without the slightest graduality, and this creates annoyance to the listener's ear. Listen to "The Fantasy" as it shifts from the pop sounds of the verses to the ear-splitting sound of the chorus. Jared Leto's performance is in its theatrical dramaticity often pathetic, especially when he tries by all means to hit the notes in screaming or tries to achieve vocal extension at all costs. The main flaw without beating around the bush too much is simple: they can't break away from the usual rhythms, melodies and they repeat endlessly, quickly tiring.
For the record, I also say that the album is accompanied by two bonus tracks: "Battle for One" and "Hunter". The first brings to mind the sound of s/f work, the second is a cover of Bjork. Additional reflection deserves the stylistic differences between this work and the previous one, and it doesn't take much to understand why success has only come now. The previous self-titled album, apart from not excelling particularly as a whole, at least had a possibly more complex sound formula and even sounded a bit harder. Now? Well, they've moved from the nu metal of the first to a clear lightening of the sound in "A Beautiful Lie". I'll also throw in an additional hint: a rock album (albeit drowned in pop-punk undertones) more or less in the same genre as 30 Seconds to Mars like "The Black Parade" by the much-hated My Chemical Romance is definitely of a higher quality than this, although still enveloped in the spiral of mainstream.
In conclusion a horrible album to be avoided. If you then like modern rock, just to stay on topic, I take the opportunity to recommend a valid and at the same time catchy band, which although semi-unknown and not advertised, deserves a listen, namely Three Days Grace. As for me, I really hope they go to Mars or that someone sends them there quickly, in less than 30 seconds, and possibly they stay for a long time, they will certainly not be missed.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Attack (03:09)
I won't suffer, be broken, get tired, or wasted
Surrender to nothing, and give up what I
Started and stopped it, from end to beginning
A new day is coming, and I am finally free
Run away, run away, I'll attack
Run away, run away, go chase yourself
Run away, run away, now, I'll attack
I'll attack, I'll aa-WHOOOAAAAAAAAA
I would've kept you forever, but we had to sever
It ended for both of us, faster than a-
Kill off this thinking, it's starting to sink in
I'm losing control now; without you I can finally see
Run away, run away, I'll attack
Run away, run away, go chase yourself
Run away, run away, now, I'll attack
I'll attack, I'll aa-WHOOOAAAAAAAAA
Your promises, they look like lies
Your honesty, like a back that hides a knife(knife)
I promise you (promise you)
I promise you (promise you, promise you)
That I am finally free
Run away, run away, I'll attack
Run away, run away, go chase yourself
Run away, run away, now I'll attack
I'll attack, I'll attack, I will attack
Run away, I'll attack, I will attack
Run away, I'll attack, I will attack
Run away, I'll attack, I will attack
Run away, now, I'll attack, I'll attack, I'll aa-WHOOOAAAAAAAAA
Your promises
(promises, promises)
I promise you
(promise you)
I promise you
(promise you, promise you)
02 A Beautiful Lie (04:05)
Lie awake in bed at night
And think about your life
Do you want to be different?
Try to let go of the truth
The battles of your youth
’Cause this is just a game
It's a beautiful lie
It's a perfect denial
Such a beautiful lie to believe in
So beautiful, beautiful it makes me
It's time to forget about the past
To wash away what happened last
Hide behind an empty face
Don't ask too much, just say
'Cause this is just a game
It's a beautiful lie
It's a perfect denial
Such a beautiful lie to believe in
So beautiful, beautiful it makes me
Lie....Beautiful
Everyone's looking at me
I'm running around in circles (baby)
A quiet desperation's building higher
I've got to remember this is just a game
So beautiful, beautiful...
(It's a beautiful lie
Beautiful, beautiful
It's a beautiful lie
Beautiful, beautiful
It's a beautiful lie
Beautiful, beautiful)
It's a beautiful lie
It's a perfect denial
Such a beautiful lie to believe in
So beautiful, beautiful it makes me
(Shoots himself)
03 The Kill (03:51)
What if I wanted to break
Laugh it all off in your face
What would you do?
What if I fell to the floor
Couldn't take all this anymore
What would you do, do, do?
Come
Break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you
What if I wanted to fight
Beg for the rest of my life
What would you do?
You say you wanted more
What are you waiting for
I'm not running from you
Come
Break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you
Look in my eyes
You're killing me, killing me
All I wanted was you
I tried to be someone else
But nothing seemed to change
I know now, this is who I really am inside
Finally found myself
Fighting for a chance
I know now, this is who I really am
Come
Break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you, you, you
Look in my eyes
You're killing me, killing me
All I wanted was you
Come, break me down
Break me down
Break me down
What if I wanted to break...?
04 Was It a Dream? (04:15)
Your defenses were on high
Your walls built deep inside
Yeah I’m a selfish bastard
But at least I’m not alone
My intentions never change
What I want it stays the same
And I know what I should do
It's time to set myself on fire
Was it a dream?
Was it a dream?
Is this the only evidence that proves it
A photograph of you and I
Your reflection I’ve erased
Like a thousand burned out yesterdays
Believe me when I say, "goodbye forever,"
It's for good
Was it a dream?
Was it a dream?
Is this the only evidence that proves it
A photograph of you and I
Whoa yeah! Whoa…
Was it a dream?
Was it a dream?
Is this the only evidence that proves it
A photograph of you and I
(A photograph of you and I)
Was it a dream?
Was it a dream?
Is this the only evidence that proves it
A photograph of you and I
A photograph of you and I
A photograph of you and I
... In love...
05 The Fantasy (04:29)
With the lights out it’s a little less dangerous
Even with a stranger never gets painless
Don’t be afraid (afraid, afraid)
Every time I think I’m gonna change it (think I'm gonna change it, think I'm gonna change it)
It’s driving me (driving me) insane (insane)
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Do you live, do you die, do you bleed
For the fantasy
In your mind, through your eyes, do you see
It’s the fantasy
Maybe tonight we can forget about it all
It could be just like heaven
I am a machine
No longer living, just a shell of what I dreamed
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Do you live, do you die, do you bleed
For the fantasy
In your mind, through your eyes, do you see
It’s the fantasy
Say it, say it, say that you believe
Say it, say it to me
Do you live, do you die, do you bleed
For the fantasy
Automatic, I imagine, I believe
Do you live
Do you die
Do you bleed
For the fantasy
Do you live, do you die, do you bleed
For the fantasy
In your mind, through your eyes, do you see
It’s the fantasy
Automatic, I imagine, I believe
Automatic, I imagine, I believe
Say it, say it, say that you believe
(Automatic, I imagine, I believe)
Say it, say it to me
(Automatic, I imagine, I believe)
Say it, say it, say that you believe
(Automatic, I imagine, I believe)
Say it, say it to me
Automatic, I imagine, I believe
I believe, I believe, I believe
06 Savior (03:24)
Until you crash
Until you burn
Until you lie
Until you learn
Until you see
Until you believe
Until you fight
Until you fall
Until the end of everything at all
Until you die
Until you’re alive
Don’t save me, don’t save me, cuz I don’t care
Don’t save me, don’t save me, cuz
I don’t care
Until you give
Until you’ve used
Until you’ve lost
Until you lose
Until you see, how could you believe?
Until you’ve lived a thousand times
Until you’ve seen the other side
This is my chance, this is my chance
Don’t save me, don’t save me, cuz I don’t care
Don’t save me, don’t save me, cuz
I don’t care
Until the truth becomes a lie
Until you change, until you deny
Until you believe
This is my chance, this is my chance
I’ll take it now because I can
This is my chance, I want it now
Don’t save me, don’t save me, cuz I don’t care
Don’t save me, don’t save me, cuz
I don’t care
Save me, save me, save me
Save me, save me, save me
I don’t care
07 From Yesterday (04:07)
He's a stranger to some
And a vision to none
He can never get enough,
Get enough of the world
For a fortune he'd quit
But it's hard to admit
How it ends and begins
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
From yesterday, it's coming
From yesterday, the fear
From yesterday, it calls him
But he doesn't want to read the message here
On a mountain he sits
Not of gold but of shit
Through the blood he can look
See the life that it took
From the council of one
He'll decide when he's done
With the innocent
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
From yesterday, it's coming
From yesterday, the fear
From yesterday, it calls him
But he doesn't want to read the message
He doesn't want to read the message
Doesn't want to read the message here
On his face is a map of the world
From yesterday, it's coming
From yesterday, the fear
From yesterday, it calls him
But he doesn't want to read the message here
From yesterday,
From yesterday,
From yesterday, the fear
From yesterday,
From yesterday
But he doesn't want to read the message here
But he doesn't want to read the message here
But he doesn't want to read the message here
08 The Story (03:55)
I've been thinking of everything
I used to want to be
I've been thinking of everything
Of me, of you and me
This is the story of my life
These are the lies I have created
I'm in the middle of nothing
And it's where I want to be
I'm at the bottom of everything
And I finally start to leave
This is the story of my life
These are the lies I have created
I created
And I swear to god
I've found myself
In the end
In the end
This is the story of my life
These are the lies I have created
09 R-Evolve (03:59)
A revolution has begun today for me inside
The ultimate defence is to pretend
Revolve around yourself just like an ordinary man
The only other option to forget
Does it feel like we’ve ever been alive?
Does it seem like it's only just begun?
To find yourself just look inside the wreckage of your past
To lose it all you have to do is lie
The policy is set and we are never turning back
It’s time for execution; time to execute
Time for execution; time to execute!
Does it feel like we’ve ever been alive?
Does it seem like it’s only just begun?
Does it feel like we’ve ever been alive inside?
Does it seem like it’s only just begun?
It’s only just begun
The evolution is coming!
A revolution has begun!
(It has begun!)
The evolution is coming!
A revolution has, yeah!
The evolution is coming!
A revolution has begun!
(It has begun!)
The evolution is coming!
A revolution has, yeah!
(Revolution…)
11 Battle of One (02:47)
Try and stop me
Try and save me
I want to fall...
Try and crush me
Take me, teach me
I want to fall
I want to fall
I want to fall...
I want to fall
I want to fall
I want to fall...
12 Hunter (03:56)
If travel is searching
And home whats been found
I'm not stopping
I'm going hunting
I'm the hunter
I'll bring back the goods
But i don't know when
I thought i could organize all freedom
How American of me
This is soon
You figured it out, didn't you?
You could smell it
So you left me on my own
To complete the mission
Now I'm leaving it all behind
I'm going hunting
I'm the hunter
I'm the hunter
I'm the hunter
You just didn't know me [x6]
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Other reviews
By pk1986
"The songs flow quickly, and it almost seems like you’re unaware of listening at full volume with headphones."
"The video for The Kill won the MTV2 Video Music Awards for best video, while From Yesterday is the first American video in history to have been broadcast in China."
By ilariola
"The entire track is focused on the fear of oneself and one’s inner shadows, with a psychological conflict so strong it drives to suicide."
"They sound good, reminiscent of several other bands already heard, such as Evanescence, Linkin Park, Incubus, they could also be defined as a 'sugarcoated version of Tool.'"
By PunkPrincess
The greatest strength lies in the originality of the melodies that fit perfectly with the voice of the frontman Jared Leto.
Depth is rare nowadays in music, and if you come across a good album that won’t change the history of music but is well made and with some good messages to convey, why throw it there in the murky sea of today’s music?
