Review Summary: Metal and alternative blend to make a bi-polar listening experience that will leave you floored.
My first review. I will make it kind of short.
40 Below Summer is a quintet from New Jersey.
Max Illidge
Joey D'Amico
Jordan Plingo
Hector Graziani
Carlos Aguilar
They formed in 1998 and found their roots in 2000. You can find information on them on Wikipedia or somewhere, so I won't go through all that work :P
Invitation To The Dance is truly a great album. Even for people who hate nu-metal, you can warm up to these guys. The rise-fall, intro/verse/chorus/verse/chorus/breakdown/outro format will not bother you like it does with Linkin Park. There is some rapping, and no s I'll give a song by song review on an out of 10 scale.
We The People: A song about society oppressing its citizens. Especially America, where the government is almost imperial. This song kicks off with jazzy drums and Max growling "We the People". This goes on for a few seconds, and the song explodes. The breakdown is soft and alternative, giving you a breif break before going straight back into heavy. Great song. 9/10
Rope: This song is about going insane I think. It starts with a base and the guitars and Max come screaming out the gates a few seconds later. This song is a bit repetitive, but it doesn't really detract much from the song. You will find yourself bobbing your head. Again, this song dosen't really go very far, and the breakdown sounds like the beginning, but still, a good song just to bob your head to. 8/10
Still Life: Arguably the best track on the CD. Automatically starts out with some impressive guitar work. It is about a failed relationship and how life seems to halt, thus, the title. There are two breakdowns(one after after each chorus), and they will make you want to just thrash around. This is probably the most metal song on the album. 10/10
Wither Away: Nice acoustic intro. Probably one of the more alternative sounding songs. This song is about substance abuse and its detrimental effects on you physically and mentally. It's sung clean throughout, except for a brief breakdown where the song turns unexpectedly heavy and simmers back down to the acoustic beginning. The song could have used more thought, and the chorus is basically Max repeating "And I wither away tomorrow's just another day." But it's also great that you see Max's voice in the full range it allows. 8.5/10
Step Into The Sideshow: Another very heavy song. This is the 40 Below Summer I fell in love with. Here they show their agressive Nu-Metal colors. Very fast scream-rapping is the only description I can think of for the vocals. This song is clean, suprisingly. Heavy downtuned guitars and a frantic drum beat throughout. It makes your inner demon(Or pyro as is mentioned in the song) want to awaken. It's their equivalent to Limp Bizkit's Break Stuff, but with better vocals and much more speed. 10/10]
Falling Down: Another song that splay's Max's increadible range. It starts out very agressive and kicking your teeth in. Then it simmers down to clean guitars and vocals, and an epic climax that sounds like Linkin Park could have done. That's a compliment by the way. This song may be about someone very pissed off, their life is falling apart, and they are spiralling downward, and probably commit suicide. 9/10
Smile Electric: For a song of it's title, it's very heavy and aggressive, with chugging riffs and more rapping style vocals. The chorus dosen't really make much sense. "SMILE! Don't you give up your smile/ Don't You give up your smile/Electric" Overall, disregarding a puzzling chorus, pretty good for rocking out to. 8/10
Rejection: Here's a song anyone can relate to. It starts out kind of eerie, with a rumbling kind of growl, and with jazzy drums and clean guitars. Then it turns angry with barking and screaming. The lyrics and music symbolize rejection and the anger spikes it could cause. I can surely relate. 9.5/10
Power Tool: This song was kind of abstract. It may be about killing, or something. I don't understand it, but it's a good song. It's refreshing and alternative sounding. Kind of like Wither Away, with a heavy break near the end. 8/10
Drown: A more foreboding, slow song. The song starts with dripping sounds, and a single guitar chord kicks off the song. The guitars are heavily distorted, and you feel like you are in a cold dark place, and you are in danger. Occasionally there are some sounds like someone's head being put into water, adding to the creepiness of the song. No real climax, but it's still good. 8/10
Minus One: Kicking your face in once again. This song is more of a dumb brutish "Ima f*** you up kind of song. Once again, the parallels to Limp Bizkit are present. This is one of my favorite songs. The chorus is clearly shouting at you "Yes you're gonna die", and violent lyrics are screamed throughout. A very heavy song. Leads into "Jonesin.'"
Jonesin': A very claustrophobic song about a killer/rapist. He is in denial that he is the oppressor, and is doing very horrible things to the girl. This song sounds like it could have been made by Korn or Slipknot, ut they did, and did it well. It ends nice and clean. The song is like you were thrust into a dark tunnel at the end of "Minus One", struggle throughout "Jonesin'", and finally re-emerge into the light. A nice way to cap off the album.
And there you have it, my first review.
