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Rating: Jacksonville, Florida, year of our Lord 2003.
Four lively young men known to most as Cold, after having jostled quite a bit with the excellent "13 Ways To Bleed on Stage," throw this very fitting "Year Of The Spider" onto the market, a record for everyone, children of the '90s, friends of NuMetal, various and eventual melancholics.
For the writer, this is practically the last Cold album, as I consider "A Different Kind of Pain" a load of rubbish of BIBLICAL proportions.
Thus, there's little trace of the raw "Cold" here, little remains of the already mentioned "13 Ways To Bleed on Stage," in our ears, we find a different work, in some ways more mature, in some ways more marketable.
The album's production is entrusted to Howard Benson, already with Motorhead, Adema, Crazytown, P.O.D., and Sepultura, a man who hasn’t missed anything.
Benson has the demerit, or merit, of having completely reshaped the band's sound, which appeared rotten and dirty in the previous work (functional to the song's register, it must be said), and makes it powerful, hyper-compressed and if we want, even a little glossy, he also has the time to throw in some string sections here and there.
Our guys, savvy as ever, also change their songwriting by winking at ballads, proving they can compose them, as evidenced by the excellent "Wasted Years"; the heavy tracks, on the other hand, are a little more aligned with the Nu trend that was rampant in those years, perhaps due to the production.
There’s a lot of acoustic guitar on this album, many clean passages, it almost doesn’t even seem like listening to the band of "thirteen ways to bleed on stage," if it weren’t for Scooter Ward's unmistakable voice, and the ornaments in the arrangement phase by the excellent Kelly Hayes (who at the time of this album had a TAMARRA LIKE FEW ESP eclipse signature, n.d.r.).
Let's analyze some passages of the CD: it starts with "Remedy", powerful and direct, great as an opener definitely, immediately followed by the big single "Suffocate," which stayed in my head for weeks, a truly great track, you'll rarely find it forgettable, it's the track that drives the album, and you can feel it.
Up to here, nothing new, more or less, compared to what we’ve heard from our guys before, but when "Cure My Tragedy" starts, it’s clear that something has changed, the track takes on calmer tones than usual, the heavy guitars are still there but seem to serve almost just as a carpet rather than a sound wall; we return to the glories of old with "Stupid Girl" for which a video was also made, "Don't Belong" is the song of the lot that most resembles the tracks from the much-mentioned previous work, oppressive and pressing.
At this point, there’s an unexpected break, "Wasted Years" starts, and you hear a string section, acoustic guitars, but is it Cold? Yes, and Scooter's voice is heard fully, a great piece, unexpected, as commercial as you want but beautiful.
The tones and originality drop a bit from here on "Whatever You Became", "Sad Happy" and "Change The World" are a bit anonymous if you like, fortunately, there are "Rain Song" and "The Day Seattle Died" in between to lift the fortunes of the listening experience.
The acoustic guitars return with "Black Sunday", a tried formula, an acoustic verse and heavy guitars in the chorus, this penultimate track does its job well.
The lot closes with "Kill The Music Industry", a brief taste of the Cold that were, followed by a bonus track whose title I don’t know, another significant ballad, significant for understanding the group’s musical turn.
As I said earlier, for me, this is the last good Cold album, the departure of the ubiquitous Terry Balsamo (Is there a group he hasn’t played in?) and the eclectic Kelly Hayes (who went on to do Allele released simultaneously with the last Cold, and he gave it a lot of crap), really left poor Scooter in a mess, who, for as talented as he is, as expressive as he is, couldn’t pull off anything of this kind anymore.
I give the album a 3, and I’m really sorry, I have a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth for a small missed masterpiece, there are some stunning tracks mostly distributed in the first half of the album, unfortunately, there are also some tedious fillers.
A few less tracks and a couple of more convincing songs, and a 4 would be assured.
That said, an album still enjoyable, ideal on rainy days, skipping some tracks won’t be a problem when a piece like "Suffocate" resonates from the speakers.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Remedy (02:59)
I don't love how you love
But please dont leave me here alone
I don't feel how you feel
Well it's my fault I'm bones
I don't die how you die
I can't just waste away
You keep changing your life
Everyday
If it burns I'll keep doing the same dream
If you fall I'll remember the same thing
I don't want your remedy
I don't fall how you fall
I wont hold on, you cant let go
Well it's pain that I feared
I made you take it slow
I don't cry how you cry
Theres nothing left in me
You keep changing my life
Everyday
If it burns I'll keep doing the same dream
If you fall I'll remember the same thing
I don't want your remedy
If it burns I'll keep doing the same dream
If you fall I'll remember the same thing
I don't want your remedy
I don't want...
I don't need...
I don't want...
Remedy
I don't want...
Remedy
If it burns I'll keep doing the same dream
If you fall I'll remember the same thing
I don't want your remedy
If it burns I'll keep doing the same dream
If you fall I'll remember the same thing
I don't want your remedy
I don't want...
I don't need...
I don't want...
Remedy
02 Suffocate (03:41)
I could take every fucking word she says
Throw it in her face
But would she even care
I still remember when she looked at me
That frown upon her face
Trying to be sincere
I gathered all those little things she said
Kept them close to me
Trying to make this real
This cloud will alway hover over me
I'm leaving you today
'Cause now I see
Suffocate, you suffocate
You lie (I don't lie)
You're fake (I'm not a freak)
Suffocate, you suffocate
You always take (I don't take)
What you can (what I can)
I could take every fucking game you play
Blow it all away
But would you even care
I could take all those lies you said to me
Never go away
Never dissapear
This cloud will always hover over me
I'm leaving you today
'Cause now I see
Suffocate, you suffocate
You lie (I don't lie)
You're fake (I'm not a freak)
Suffocate, you suffocate
You always take (I don't take)
What you can (what I can)
Suffocate, you suffocate
You lie (I don't lie)
You're fake (I'm not a freak)
Suffocate, you suffocate
You always take (I don't take)
What you can (what I can)
Now I'm far away from you (You're always far away)
I'll never bring back yesterday (bring back yesterday)
You're such a fake it's true
I can't believe the words you say
I'm far away from you
I'll never bring back yesterday
Suffocate, you suffocate
You lie (I don't lie)
You're fake (I'm not a freak)
Suffocate, you suffocate
You always take (I don't take)
What you can (what I can)
I always take
What I can
04 Stupid Girl (03:11)
Wanna love ya
Wanna bug ya
Wanna squeeze ya
Stupid girl
Wanna touch ya
Wanna take ya
Wanna shut ya
Stupid girl
I can't take this
Born to break this
She's going away (she's going away)
What's wrong with my life tonight
She's going away (she's going away)
What's wrong with my life tonight
Stupid girl
Stupid girl
I'm a loner
I'm a loser
I'm a winner in my mind
I'm a bad one
I'm a good one
I'm a sick one with a smile
I can't take this
Born to break this
She's going away (she's going away)
What's wrong with my life tonight?
She's going away (she's going away)
What's wrong with my life tonight?
She's going away (she's going away)
What's wrong with my life tonight?
Stupid girl
Stupid girl
Stupid girl
Stupid girl
Woah
Woah
Woah
She's going away (she's going away)
What's wrong with my life tonight
She's going away (she's going away)
What's wrong with my life tonight (what's wrong with my life tonight)
She's going away (she's going away)
What's wrong with my life tonight (what's wrong with my life tonight)
Stupid girl
Stupid girl
Stupid girl
Stupid girl
05 Don't Belong (03:42)
My mind takes you to where you need to be
Cure for your heartbreak to take away the pain
I could describe each mistake for you
Tattoo it on my tainted heart
But I won't ever tell the world
That I don't belong
Please don't ever tell the world
That I don't belong
That I don't belong
Can you still feel me
Or did I slip away
A sick man a monster
Broken still today
I can't explain what happens to me
Caught in the game I always start
I could describe each mistake for you
Tattoo it on my tainted heart
But I won't ever tell the world
That I don't belong
Please don't ever tell the world
That I don't belong
I won't ever change my ways
And I can't be strong
Whoa
That I don't belong
And it's my own shame
I can't break away
But I won't ever tell the world
That I don't belong
Please don't ever tell the world
That I don't belong
Well I won't ever change my ways
And I can't be strong
Please don't ever tell the world
That I don't belong
Whoa
That I don't belong
That I don't belong
06 Wasted Years (04:09)
There's a game life plays
Makes you think you're everything they ever said you were
Like to take some time
Clear away everything I've planned
Was it life I've betrayed
For the shape that I'm in
It's not hard to fail
It's not easy to win
Did I drink too much
Could I dissapear
And there's nothing that's left but wasted tears
There's nothing left but wasted years
If I could change my life
Be a simple kind of man try to do the best I can
If I could take the sides
I'd derail every path I could
I'm about to die
Won't you clear away from me give me strength to fly away
Was it life I've betrayed
For the shape that I'm in
It's not hard to fail
It's not easy to win
Did I drink too much
Could I dissapear
And there's nothing that's left but wasted tears
There's nothing left but wasted years
There's nothing left but wasted years
There's nothing left but wasted years
Was it life I've betrayed
For the shape that I'm in
It's not hard to fail
It's not easy to win
Did I drink too much
Could I dissapear
And there's nothing that's left but wasted tears
Was it life I've betrayed
For the shape that I'm in
It's not hard to fail
It's not easy to win
Did I drink too much
Could I dissapear
And there's nothing that's left but wasted tears
Was it life I've betrayed
For the shape that I'm in
It's not hard to fail
It's not easy to win
Did I drink too much
Could I dissapear
And there's nothing that's left but wasted tears
07 Whatever You Became (03:47)
Whatever you became
Blame it on my fame
Always away from you
Sold my life for a song
Whatever you killed
The blood got on my face
See it took over you
And your minds nearly gone
And I can't change my ways
Sorry it's my fault
I wasn't there to see
Whatever you became
Whatever you became
Whatever you became
You blame it on blind faith
Can't turn away from you
What's my life if your gone
Whatever you feel
I take it on my stage
I sing to the world for you
And I'm always alone
And I can't change my ways
Sorry it's my fault
I wasn't there to see
Whatever you became
Whatever you became
I can see it all
You're so far away
I can't take this anymore
I can't live until I see your face
I can see it all
You're so far away
I can't take this anymore
I can't live until I see your face
And I can't change my ways
Sorry it's my fault
I wasn't there to see
Whatever you became
Whatever you became
Somethings gone away
You've taken this from me
Until I see your face
I'm slipping away
08 Sad Happy (03:38)
She was only seventeen,
and forced to blame it on herself,
as she hides away to tame the pain she feels,
She was thrown into a scene,
a drunken man without a will,
And the God that makes mistakes and still pretends,
And I'll be strong
And I will sing
And I will take your pain away
And I'll be strong
And I will sing
And I will take your pain away
She was only trying to breathe,
Her broken nails had sliced his skin,
As he bruised her face she fades away again,
When she came to at the scene,
A fevered will,
And a match in hand
As she watched the flame
She felt alive again
And I'll be strong
And I will sing
And I will take your pain away
And I'll be strong
And I will sing
And I will take your pain away
Can you feel
Can you feel
Can you feel
Can you feel
And I'll be strong
And I will sing
And I will take your pain away
And I'll be strong
And I will sing
And I will take your pain away
Can you feel
Can you feel
Can you feel
Can you feel
09 Rain Song (03:39)
When it rains I don't mind
Let me stand here all night
Did she take her own life
Let me know she's alright
And every time it rains
I feel her holding me
And every time it rains
Are the angels crying?
I'll stay strong, I'll be fine
Carry on with my life
I still stare at the sky
Pray for rain, all the time
Why'd you run? Did you hide?
Why'd you leave, no goodbye?
When the clouds take the sky
Does a storm give you life?
And every time it rains
I feel her holding me
And every time it rains
Are the angels crying?
And every time it rains
I feel her holding me
And every time it rains
All the angels cry for me
I'll never be the same
I'll never be the same
Be the same
Be the same
And every time it rains
I feel her holding me
And every time it rains
Are the angels crying?
And every time it rains
I feel her holding me
And every time it rains
Are the angels crying?
11 Change the World (04:03)
Thinking of the mess we made
You became a part of me
Thinking of the wish you made
To break free
Playing you like I can
Shoving it in your face
This doesn't break your heart
I'm the one to blame
I never wanted to change your world
I always wanted the simple things
And whatever happens now
It can't be real
Thinking that you might betray
My own private fantasy
I'm the only one that gives
What you need
Playing you like I can
Shoving it in your face
If this doesn't tear you apart
I'm the one to blame
I never wanted to change your world
I always wanted the simple things
And whatever happens now
It can't be real
I never wanted to change your world
I always wanted the simple things
And whatever happens now
It can't be real
Now you're gone
I feel betrayed
You can't blame me
You walked away
Now you're gone
You can't blame me
You walked away
I never wanted to change your world
I always wanted the simple things
And whatever happens now
It can't be real
I never wanted to change your world
I always wanted the simple things
And whatever happens now
It can't be real
I never wanted to change your world
I always wanted the simple things
And whatever happens now
It can't be real
I never wanted to change your world
I always wanted the simple things
12 Black Sunday (04:32)
I can't breathe at all
And it hurts to think
That time could heal my wounds
Feeling I've been betrayed
Black Sunday still burns you in my thoughts
I can't sleep at all
Now you're gone away
I can't fake this anymore
Guess I could blame it all
On God's game
Or explain what my life's for
Caught in a winters rain
I can't remember a word you said
Take away my fear please hold on to me
I'm falling
Falling
I will trade it all
For another day
Just to feel you and your warmth
But even pictures fade
Black Sunday still burns you in my thoughts
I can't see at all
Did you fly away
Did the stars shine bright for you
Guess I could blame it all
On God's game
It was fate that carried you
Caught in a winters rain
I can't remember a word you said
Take away my fear please hold on to me
I'm falling
Falling
You always take away
Take away
Take away
Caught in a winters rain
I can't remember a word you said
Take away my fear please hold on to me
I'm falling
Falling
Caught in a winters rain
I can't remember a word you said
Take away my fear please hold on to me
I'm falling
Falling
And I'm falling
I'm falling
I'm falling
I'm falling
I'm falling
13 Kill the Music Industry (02:58)
They change your faith
It's gone too far
They name the way you see
They think they'll change your life
And control your mind
They can't relate to real life
Sick of all this monotony
Kill the fucking music industry
Sick of all this monotony
Kill the fucking music industry
They trust the way they feel in their minds
It's time for us to scream
They think they'll change your life
And control your mind
They can't relate to real life
Sick of all this monotony
Kill the fucking music industry
Sick of all this monotony
Kill the fucking music industry
Sick of all this monotony
Kill the fucking music industry
Kill the fucking music industry
Kill the fucking music industry
Kill the fucking music industry
Sick of all this monotony
Kill the fucking music industry
Sick of all this monotony
Kill the fucking music industry
Sick of all this monotony
Kill the fucking music industry
Sick of all this monotony
Kill the fucking music industry
Kill the fucking music industry
Kill the fucking music industry
Kill the fucking music industry
Kill the fucking music industry
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