New review out, my first for a long time. It's on the amazing DVD, School of Rock.
New review out, my first for a long time. It's on the amazing DVD, School of Rock.
Member since:22.04.2005
Reviews:40
Members who trust:18
**The album is called Catalyst**
Background: I got this album a about a year ago, after seeing it advertised in one of my magazines. I had been wanting to get one of their other albums, with the hit 'My friends over you', but I hadn't been able to find it, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to get into their music. It was my sister that kindly bought me this album, and I wasn't disappointed. However, I wasn't completely blown away either. This album is what I would describe as a 'cut above the rest' with quite a lot of good tracks, and overall, a very catchy album.
Note: The song most people will have heard of is 'All downhill from here' which I found quite good at first, but as I started to get to know the other tracks, it sank down the list, possibly towards the bottom. This is what happens with most albums I buy - they release a single
which I here on the radio and really like (e.g. American Idiot by green day). However when I buy the album, I seem to prefer the other tracks, probably because I have heard them less often.
Extra Info: The album is on drive-thru records, and the CD has an enhanced section. This means that if you load the CD into a PC, you can view the 'making of' video for 'All downhill form here', which is actually very interesting.
Tracklisting:
1. Intro - short intro, contains some strong language
2. All Downhill From Here - released as a single, good lyrics
3. This Disaster - great catchy start, good chorus
4. Truth Of My Youth - Not a standout track, nothing special about it
5. I Don't Wanna Know - More of slow song, not really one of my favourites
6. Your Biggest Mistake - an average song with a catchy chorus
7. Doubt Full - my favourite song on the album, very good lyrics
8. Failure's Not Flattering - average song, nothing special
9. Over The Head, Below The Knees - good guitaring at the start, rest is monotonous
10. Ending In Tragedy - Quite an emotional song, but spoilt by too much repetiton of the chorus
11. At Least I'm Known For Something - Good song, but again, with a repetitive chrous
12. I'd Kill To Fall Asleep - Another one of those whining choruses
13. No News Is Good News - Good song, great riffs and guitar
14. Radio Adelaide - Another very good track, brilliant chorus
15. Constant Static - One of the more different songs, worth listening to
16. Who Am I - Just above average, quite catchy, good lyrics
Standout tracks for me:
3 - This Disaster 7 - Doubt Full 11 - At Least I'm Known For Something 13 - No News Is Good News 14 - Radio Adelaide
These tracks appeal to me because of catchy riffs, lyrics and solos.
Album: There are a total of 16 tracks on the album, with 2 of them (14 & 15) being bonus tracks. One of the criticisms of the album is that I find all the tracks sound the same. This is mainly due to the almost whining and monotonous sound of the lead singers' voice. However, the lyrics more than make up for that. The whole album is easy to listen to, and to sing as well, and I found I like a lot of the tracks, if not all of them. They are very catchy, with almost every track having a standout part. The reason I like the album a lot is because the lyrics are catchy and the music is well thought out and played.
In-Lay/Cover Design: This is one of the most original In-lays I have seen in an album for a long time. The booklet and front and back cover of the album are done in a cartoon style, with a dark theme to it. All the characters featured have big heads and some also have large hands. The booklet contains the lyrics to the songs as well as a caricature of each of the five band members. The front cover of the booklet is hard to describe, but it basically shows a few kids (some playing musical instruments) walking on a wooden decking, into and out of house. I have spent quite a long time studying this, and the artwork really is quite interesting and nicely done.
Overall: A good album, perhaps let down a bit by its monotonous sound. Well presented, and a good variety of tracks to get your teeth stuck into, plus a making of video. A worthy purchase for any punk rock fan.
Thanks you for reading this, and I would appreciate it if you would comment on it and rate it as well, to tell me what you think of it. Thanks, Phil
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Great review, wish i didn't give my copy to my Dad......
El_Leon 28.04.2007 18:20
Good call on No News Is Good News, awesome song.
Vheissu 27.07.2006 10:17
"Drawling voice of lead singer"; haha, have a listen to their new song, 'It's Not Your Fault'.... he sounds like a completely different vocalist now. Alex
Intro All Downhill %3EFrom Here This Disaster Truth Of My Youth I Don't Wanna Know Your ... more
Biggest Mistake Doubt Full Failure's Not Flattering Over The Head Below The Knees Ending In Tragedy At Least I'm Known For Something Constant Static No News Is ...
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