good record, better then suffer survive
348172
when i first heard of this band it was when their first single came out from suffer survive. i liked the single and liked the cd, but when i heard this, i noticed it was alot harder and more screaming. being i like harder music this cd is deffinatly more my style. i still like the new one, but this one is a bit better. i hear they put on an awesome show too. i recommend checking this cd out.
3406505
Great album, but its way too damn long. So first the good. Pain of Salvation has succeeded in creating a unique and distinct sound in a world filled with carbon copy, generic Prog Metal bands. That is success number one. When its comes to this album, its has some moments of real brilliance and some parts that drag, and overall, its way too long. This album did not need to be 74 minutes. This is a fatal flaw. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy the album, but today while listening to it, I was like "Is this thing almost over yet?" just to look down at my IPOD and see I was on track 9 of 12 and sadly let out a groan. They seriously should have designed this album to be around 60 minutes and as a counterpoint I present Images and Words which clocks in at just under 60 minutes which feels likes its over in the blink of an eye and leaves me wanting more, where as The Perfect Element OVERSTAYS ITS WELCOME. Now usually I would just delete one or two songs from the playlist, but it can't be done in this case since the album flows together as if it was one long song, so in the end this album is fantastic for the most part, but is like a marathon to get through.
2182595
Another good release from the short-lived UK indie label, Bad Acid. 'Taste The Pain' is a four (4) track mini-lp from the Japanese band, that according to their bio sheet, has perfected their style of playing psychedelic doom. I dug the title cut, "Taste The Pain" and their heavy cover of Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" the best. Each song here is painfully dedicated to serial killers of our time. For example, "Plainfield" is about Ed Gein. Isn't he the one that the media had done a pretty good job of keeping his killings quiet, for at least several years? Pretty decent,for an EP. Check it out when you get the chance.
3226849
This is not an easy record, nor a polished pop gem in the mode of Yoshima or The Soft Bulletin.  It is dark and expansive, and seems almost calculated to counteract the relative commercial success the band has enjoyed over recent years.

The themes are dark, and what hooks there are are few and far between.  That said, 'The Terror' resonates with an intimate honesty that, sadly, will remain inaccessible to many.  Works of this magnitude require some effort from the listener.

This is a bold direction to take the band in an era when The art of The Album is all but lost and attention spans appear to be ever shrinking. The patient listener who gives the record a chance will find much to reward them, between Kraut rock-inspired psychedelia, grating polyrhythms, gritty synths and wistful vocals.  The genius of the Coyne/Drozd combination is as potent as ever, though the emotional landscape of the music is vast and, in large measure, quite bleak.
2600500
"There is a folk legend of a little boy who finds in the forest a bird with a beautiful song and brings it home. He asks his father to bring food for the bird. The father doesn't want to feed a mere bird, so he kills it. And the legend says the man killed the bird, and with the bird he killed the song, and with the song, he killed himself. He dropped dead, completely dead, and was dead forever." ~Joseph Campbell

- - -

immensely rough sludge-core riffage entwined with progressive harmonic interludes and set over deep bellowing vocals, another great sludge-doom band to hear.

album length: just over 47 minutes.

Deadbird isn't comparable to many. Isis, Pelican, Cult of Luna? perhaps. They remind a lot of Capricorns, but less refined with a much harsher sound.

The theme of this band orientates around hope/despair, the lyrics themselves quite poetic with lots of dark imagery painting a rather bleak, ominous landscape while still retaining a glimmer of beauty in its midst.

the music is just as foreboding, lots of dense coarse textures that culminate deep crushing riffs as well as more gentle melodic passages that evolve and develope once again into even more crushing riffs. the band also use a few various voice samples in their songs to set the tone and create a more troubled/perplexing atmosphere.

anyone into sludge/doom/stoner should pick up this record without question.
2499006
These days, the most difficult challenge for a progressive rock/metal band is finding its own unique sound. While some bands succeed, but most fail. While Ice Age fails to generate originality, they are good musicians and they write good songs, evoking I&W-era Dream Theater (lots of string synths, keyboard-guitar unison lines) at times and Rush at others. The production, while muddy at times, complements the band's energy. The vocalist has talent, and at times he sounds great, but there's times when he tries to sing beyond his abilities (not cool).
"Perpetual Child," a heavy and crunchy song seething with energy...energy that much of the album sadly lacks. That's not to say there's no other impressive material here. "Spare Chicken Parts," while perhaps unfocused and too ostentatious, is an exciting instrumental. "Ice Age" is great hard-edged progressive music, with all it's varied constituents molded together nigh-perfectly. "To Say Goodbye" is the appropriately grand album closer (lots of great piano in this one). (Note that these are all the album's longest songs, totaling nearly 40 minutes.)
I haven't really warmed up to the rest of the album, and I doubt that I will. Although the band is skilled, I find the shorter songs boring without exception. It appears that when the band is not writing epic pieces with ambition and lush orchestrations, they meet little success. Still, this is a worthwhile album that makes a good impression, for the most part. I've heard that the band's follow-up, Liberation, is much better than this one, and I'm inclined to check it out. The Great Divide shows a band with promise, so it would be no surprise that Liberation reveals flowering ability.
4736741
Whew, The Suicide Machines, what can I say? With their 6th and saldy, final studio album, this Detroit-based quartet go out with a bang. This is by far their heaviest and most brutal album, and that just may be the reason why it is my second favorite, next to Destrucion by Definition, of course. There are a few breaks in the action, such as the bass driven, "Junk", track number four, and the punk-ish, "Bottomed Out", track number ten. The album then continues to finish up with the last 3 tracks being a bit less intense, but by all means still great. The lyrics in track thirteen are saddening if you actually listen, because Jay seems as if he regrets the path he's taken for the past 15 years of his life. For the most part, however, "War Profiteering is Killing us All" is a rebellion against Bush and modern politics. Although this album may be filled with great, great songs, I'm going to try to pick out my top favorites here :

2. Capitalist Suicide - I wouldn't exactly call it a "single", but I'd say it's the most familiar with people as far as this CD goes. This song just flows well, it'll be stuck in your head forever.
3. Ghost On Sunset Strip - It kind of reminds me of the Suicide Machines we saw on "A Match and Some Gasoline". It's upbeat, catchy, and the chorus is great.
4. Junk - Wow. Some powerful bass on this song, I think that's what makes it great, too. This track almost sounds live. I'd have to say it's tied for my favorite on the CD. "Is all your integrity gone?"
8. Red Flag - Can you say transitions? This song is very brutal at times, and at other it's that signature in-your-face punk only The Suicide Machines can do.
11. Rebellion Is On The Clearance Rack ( And I Think I Like It ) - The opening of this song will have you jumping off of a bridge and banging your head against cement. It's very heavy and I love the section where only Ryan and Jay are audible, "Let's let those f***ers win!"
12. Hands Tied - Ahh, sweet ska. This is the track that's tied with "Junk" as my favorite. I STILL cannot stop listening to this one. The bass solo is a killer idea.

Even though I still think The Suicide Machines could have gone on for many more years and made so much more great music, ( that I definitely would have gotten my hands on, no matter how I had to ) they've decided to put their career to a halt. I respect them for all of the music they've made and times they made my life awesome. Don't miss out on the last great album from TSM. Thank you for your time.
3394573
Pearl Jam has long been one of my faviorte bands.  They are one of the most intelligent and charismatic bands that are around.  I just finished listening to Binaural for the second time and have formed opinions.  There  are some very good, powerful songs on this CD, Light Years and Sleight of  Hand to name a couple. These songs are amongst a group of my favirotes.  There is some meaty guitar licks and excellent lyrics.  But I have some  questions.  Pearl Jam has made it quite clear that they will never put out  a Ten or a V.S. again.  It always seems like people are just fine with  that.  But would that be so horrible?  Would this be the worst thing that  ever happened?  Would this cause their fans to revolt and say that they are  not being creative and not changing?  Why does a band have to change  conatantly to be taken seriously?  Most of the time that I hear that a band  is really growing or maturing on their new release, I find that I don;t  seem to care for it as much as their earlier work.  Every time I get the  latest release from Pearl Jam, I am hoping and praying for something that  even vaguely resembles their first couple outings.  But every time I get  the new disc, I think to myself, This is good stuff but it never meets my  expectations.  Remember the first time you listenes to Ten.  It just  grabbed me and never let go.  I appreciate that the guys previous success  has allowed them to really please themselves and put out the music they  want to.  But it would really be great for them to light a fire under  themselves and put out some music that is exciting and monumental again.  Up tempo numbers never hurt anybody. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing  fundamentally wrong with this disc, and I am sure that it will grow on me a  little more.  Long live Pearl Jam.
840671
This is a great album but I don't think its holds up to Holding This Moment...still a must for your hardcore collection. Go see them live if you haven't and if you have then I'm sure you'll go see them again.
4852316
As a couple other reviewers here have observed, the small handful of songs on this record that are good are REALLY good, but you will have to wade through a dozen other just ok songs that are virtually indecipherable from one another to get to them.

Lyrically this is definitely Gwen Stefanis most introspective and personal record to date, though I would argue she hasn't gotten enough credit in the past for writing understated, poignant tunes (Wonderful Life, Early Winter, etc). But unfortunately this time around it seems she had a difficult time incorporating those meaningful sentiments into songs that are also catchy, or even memorable. The radio singles like Used to Love You and Make Me Like You are fun enough in the moment and may get your head bopping for a few minutes but surely won't solidify themselves in your brain the way What You Waiting You or Hollaback Girl did a decade ago  and continue to today. I don't dislike the straightforward, mid-tempo, electro-reggae pop sound that permeates 90% of the record, necessarily, but it certainly does make it extra difficult to find any tracks that stand out from the rest as immediately identifiable. The album closer, Rare, is a highlight but twelve songs in it may just be too little, too late. My favorite song is actually one found on the Target edition of the disc; Getting Warmer starts off with a classical vibe and elevates into an experimental techno piece, blending elements I think work really well together. Definitely worth the upgrade if you can get a hold of it.

Even though my overall assessment of okay but instantly forgettable may sound a bit harsh, there actually isn't much here I would call actively terrible. Well, aside from Red Flag which has Gwen trying perhaps a little TOO hard to channel the sassiness of early No Doubt, and Asking 4 It which is entirely unintelligible. Otherwise, her voice is top notch these days and I appreciate her willingness to be lyrically provocative, even if the music itself isn't terribly inspired. If you're an existing fan there are things to like here, for sure, but if you're not already on the Gwen Stefani train this one probably won't bring you aboard, either, so I figure a middle of the road 3-star rating is about fair.
4692406
Ok: I like this record, although I prefer others (the first one, grand hotel, exotic bird and fruit). One thing is that as much as it is universally loved, I just don't love title song all that much. And while there is one of my all-time favorite songs (Devil Came from Kansas) there are bit too many fillers; including bit too many bluesy songs by Robin (whose work I like a lot, just not if it's just henrix-y guitar, plain blues).

But then again it is a great record, well worth listening to. And despite its imperfections, still one of their best (considering there are much weaker ones in mid-70s).
4289551
With Saturate going under the radar, Breaking Benjamin had to wait for We Are Not Alone to break into the mainstream. Phobia, their third album, rocketed them into the forefront of current rock bands. Dear Agony is more of the familiar, yet solid Breaking Benjamin formula we fans have come to love. Sometimes repetitive (it's true)riffs and lyrics sometimes repeat, but then again EVERY (modern) band does that, I dare anyone to say they don't. It's good alternative rock and roll none-the-less and fans above all will really enjoy it. This band is my favorite band alongside 3 Doors Down, but BB could use a little more experimentation with their sound. I would like to hear some variety in tunings and maybe step out of the box with lyrics too. Phobia may have been their most varied album and gave high hopes for experimentation on Dear Agony, but it fell flat in some areas, unfortunately. I'll probably be crucified for this review, but while the album is good, expect more growth at this point in their career. Any true fan of a band would review the bands art in a honest and sincere way. I'm rooting for this band to start getting awards from the music community that they rightly deserve, especially since Benjamin Burnley truly has one of the best voices and most distinct voices in music today, so good luck in the future and hope this one goes platinum too.
4702934
This last Skynyrd is not as good as "God & Guns" but is a pretty good record.  I find myself liking the slower songs more than the rockers, I am getting dangerously close to fifty, but the general feeling is positive. I think my favorite song for now is ""Something to live for" but that could change. ""One day at a time", "Ready to fly" and "Honey Hole" I like a lot. The record improves with time. High number of  fine songs. As for the ongoing debate, definitely not the best Skynyrd  out there, Ronnie is not coming back and this is what we have. Happy to be able to listen what they produce, happy to take it "one day at a time". I hope this helps someone.
1226991
This album is really good, but it's not as good as Blood Mountain, for me.  I really dig long, epic songs, which this album has many, in the vain of old Metallica.  The issue is that there is too much build up to the really cool parts. Even still their musicianship is insane.  I don't know how they write music so complex.  All these guys could teach at Berklee.  Anyway, good album, great band.  In fact Mastadon is my favorite metal band out right now, and probably the best metal band to come out in 15 years.  Buy it!
2002441
I d like to make an honest review of this album.  I think it is good, but one of the less strong or weak offerings this band has done or offered.
Aint life grand, everyday, or space wrangler are albums that are keepers for WP.  But for me 'Til the medicine takes' sounded like a regurgetated version of their material they did live, up to the poiint of the record's release.  Released in 1999, after their strong '98 summer and fall tours, we get the material we ve heard at the shows.  Sorry to sound anti WP - they re a great band - but when the record came out it began to feel as though this band was giving an answer to a record industry machine that "makes" bands do records.
I think part of the WP formula is to have a fresh sound, and not to sound repeated or over played.  Maybe the music industry and their 'producers' who are the musicians are going through a small oxidation process.  Because we can t have more and more records come out just because of contracts.  NOW, if WP really dug making this album and back it up, then I GIVE THEM ALL MY BLESSINGS AND ENERGY, because few musicians now a days, i d say 40 % make music, because they like to.  The rest are just following a mindless album selling formula just to make quick cash.
I give Til the medicine takes 5 stars, because i think it is the most mature WP studio album yet.
Peace.
2119088
underoath released an amazing record right here....but..i can understand why old underoath fans wouldnt like it..but..i dunno this album is not like all the other screamo bands it has something more...there not trying to be cool..there just writing music the way they want to...this is good if u like the new screamo emo deal but there christian so they don't sing about killing themselves
2447746
The Anti-Mother isn't as melodic as Redeemer nor as hardcore as The Aftermath. It's not really a mix of the two either. I see it as a harsher Redeemer. You'll get a good feel for how the album sounds from the first few tracks. It opens with Vipers, Snakes, and Actors which is a harder song on the album and then goes into Self Employed Chemist which is a more melodic track. And it trades off like that a bit throughout the album. Self Employed Chemist really shouldn't be on this album though. It doesn't sound like any of the other tracks and it's not a spectacular track to begin with. One thing that really bothered me is none of the tracks are very memorable. Surrender Your Sons.., is the only song that really sticks out because it's different from the other tracks. And I love the opening of it. Other than that, nothing spectacular is displayed. Robots 3 Humans 0 is a good song, and it's no wonder it was the first track streamed on their MySpace, but it really does lose it's touch after a couple of listens.

I was actually struggling to decide whether to give this album 3 or 4 stars. So I gave it another listen, and decided 4 stars was really more suitable. The Birth and Death of the Anti Mother tracks are pure hardcore tracks that sandwich the most melodic track on the album Robots 3 Humans 0. It's an interesting effect listening to them in order.

I did like the guest vocals, which is probably the most interesting thing about the album because they actually co-wrote all the songs with their respective guests. Chino Moreno of Deftones and Cove Reber of Saosin helped out with Surrender Your Sons.. and Helmet's own Page Hamilton wrote Opposite of Left and Wrong. Those particular tracks are enjoyable.

Overall, you'll find some melody and you'll find some hardcore and they sound good where they're at. This is a solid album and it's really exactly what you'd expect from Norma Jean.

Oh, and by the way, the last song is quite deceptive. It's not an epic, though it is 9 minutes long. It's actually more like 4 and a half minutes with half the track actually being just subtle noise. I was disappointed because they've had some great epics in the past and they kind of left me hanging with that one.