Ok, so my copy of Asylum came in the mail finally, collectors edition, poster with the sheet music/tabs on the back, et al. Very cool.
Remnants: Fun instrumental to start of the disc. Felt like it was going to have a heavier electronic push to it, with the low buzz and the synth sounds, but once the acoustic guitar kicked in, the piece picked up. Nothing to write home about although the guitar work is pretty slick if I do say so myself.
Asylum: Fed into from Remnants, starts off with a quick bass line. John is all over that, ad it remains a pretty basic bass line (on first listen) throughout the song. David needs to use his falsetto more IMHO, "Darkness" was gorgeous, and there were a few times in the song I was expecting it, mainly in the chorus. The use of the electronics in the song added a nice extra level the couple of times I noticed them. Also, the layering of vocals was a nice touch too.
The Infection: I love the sound of David's voice when he is singing, not that I don't like the growling, but he has an amazing voice. Drum level felt a little high and overpowering a little, nothing wrong with the drums, just a little loud. Really dig the guitar work at about 2:25 or so in. Nothing overly noticeable from John on this piece.
Warrior: Quick bass/guitar combo to open the song, and quick vocals from David to match. Good sound, the high/low vocals from David are a nice change of pace.
Another Way to Die: Slowing it down a bunch. 30 seconds in, thinking this would be a great falsetto song for David. At a minute in they pick up the pace, the drums are at the perfect level for this song, remembering seeing this video a few months back. Political statement, drives it's point home though. Another piece where I enjoy the guitar and bass work. I will be learning a few of these songs! But no Falsetto from David.
Never Again: Not sure I like the opening "Woah" after the "Never Again" by David here. Another quasi political song but the instrument effects at the very least caught my attention
The Animal: Electronic opening to the piece. Like the opening growl/laugh. A little to much on the guitars, they are not bad, but the drums, David, and a less busy guitar during the chorus, would do this piece better I think. Not all songs need a guitar solo, while this one is cool, could have been better saved for another song.
Cruscified: Another good piece showcasing David's singing. The toned down guitars during this song are what I would have liked to hear in the last songs chorus. Even the motion in the chorus on this one does not overpower David. I liked this one a lot, probably one of my favorites so far
Serpentine: John having fun with the bass line, I like it. The rhythm change leading in to the chorus felt a little jarring, had to listen to it twice, to make sure i hadn't just misheard though, so must not be too bad. Good level for the guitars in this.
My Child: Not liking the electronic swell underlying effect in the opening. Nothing wrong with the song, just not getting into it that much. Lyrically sounds a little whiny, and then the lifeline beeping at the end...meh.
Sacrifice: Good contrast between the singing and the growling. Guitar felt a little repetetive but not bad. Like the Jekyll and Hyde reference. Loved the different drum parts, varying enough throughout the song (again, IMHO) to keep it moving. Another one of those places near the end that while guitar solo's are cool, I did not feel that the song needed it.
Innocence: Like the opening right off the bat. David's growling coupled with the singing sounds great. Am really into this song, not hearing anything overly special about it, just everything is seeming to mesh very well.
ISHFWILF: Lots of silence to open this, hoping it becomes something like "Darkness" as that would round out this album very well. Off the top of my head, I have yet to hear David's falsetto. :/ Not digging the silence though, I get the desire to do a 'bonus track' type of thing. Ok, 1:35 in, and the song just kicked in. It's a cover of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." Great song, awesome cover, but I am a sucker for hard rock/heavy/industrial covers.
I am going to skip the bonus tracks, they are live versions of "Stricken" and "Down with the Sickness," good quality recordings though.
OVERALL: The group is comprised of very strong individuals in their chosen instruments, and for the most part they were able to showcase each talent, but a couple of times the songs felt like those personalities were fighting to be the only one in the song you noticed. "Innocence" and "Cruscified" were my favorite pieces and they will be added to my short list of music, as will "ISHFWILF."
Overall I enjoyed the album, will definitely be adding it to my mp3 player, hoping "My Child" will grow on me.
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