Alright i thought id give a stab at this cd reviewing
so i chose one of my favorite bands APC and their new cd..i hope you find it helpful so here goes
1. The Package- 8.0/10.0 A good opener, melodic with nice rim work by josh freese. One of my only complaints with this song is that it seems to drag on a little bit..maybe a bit on the longish side. There's some nice sounding higher/maybe harmonics in the beginning and interlude of the song done by Billy. Maynard's singing is right on as usual..and the crescendo of him saying "Bring this to me" leading into the first loud part is one of my favorite parts of the song. Twiggy has a nice riff..just maybe repeated a little bit to much. James support work complements Billy nicely.
2. Weak and Powerless- 6.5/10.0 Not my first choice for a single..but a good song. The words are really what make this song as the drum part is very repetitive and the guitar doesnt shine through on this song. Twiggy does a nice opening riff but alas..repeats it alot. Maynard saves the song with the lyrics and the way he sings them..its really worth listening to the song just to hear the words.
3. The Noose- 8.5/10.0 One of my favorite songs off the new cd. Nice synth part throughout most..complements the haunting work of Billy. Twiggy doesn't seem to have a big part in this song. The real shining part of this song is the harmony parts with Maynard overdubbing himself on the last Chorus/Outro. Josh Freese shows his creative ability on this song..coming up with quite a unique beat during the verse and lots of ghost notes and ride work during the choruses.
4. Blue- 7.5/10.0 This is a nice overall song. Both guitars and bass seem to fit well together during most of it. Josh does some syncopation for most of it and provides a nice counter-rhythm to the guitar. Maynard and Billy combine for some nice harmonies as they talk about a girl and blue
5. Vanishing- 9.0/10.0 One of my personal favorites of the cd. The beginning doesnt seem like much..but it really kicks in about 0:35 and continues to grow from there. Maynard seems to really let his more melodic side show on this song and combines haunting lyrics with beautiful melodies. Josh Freese once again takes the cake on this song..coming through with one of his best performances yet with APC.
6. A Stranger- 6.0/10.0 This song seems out of place sandwiched between Vanishing and The Outsider. Its a nice change of pace..with a nice guitar riff and some well thought out if not odd lyrics.
7. The Outsider 9.5/10.0 Ahh my favorite song on the cd. The Outsider gets you hooked from the beginning with Billy playing a clean riff and then a moving drum part leading into the verse. The verse seems like a constant buildup leading into the Chorus which is harder than most of the rest of the cd. Maynard really gets up in the octave range at the end of the chorus as he sings about "everyone having his day to die". The 2nd verse/interlude is a good change with low guitar riffs and an angry sounding tom part behind it. The bridge is a nice guitar feature with Josh laying down a snare groove behind it. Leading into the 3rd chorus is a very effective 16th triplet double bass part. After that maynard screams "Over this!" leading into a guitar solo you might call it. Then the outro..the angriest part of the song. With Maynard half singing/half yelling "If you choose to pull the trigger, should your drama prove sincere, do it somewhere FAR AWAY FROM HERE."
8. Crimes 3.5/10.0 I know it wasnt meant to be a song..but i really dont think crimes should have been on here. It seemed just like a little bit of a filler..but ended up sounding like bad recording quality (which could have been the point). Its sort of novel to hear the first couple of times..but after that you'll prolly skip over it.
9. Nurse Who Loved me 5.5/10.0 One of the strangest songs on the cd..with Maynard talking about an experience with a nurse. Theres a nice synth part going through most of it and Maynard seems to have sort of a muting effect on his voice. It doesnt seem to quite come out as full as normal but it fits the atmosphere of the song very well.
10. Pet 8.0/10.0 Very nice entrance..very punchy. Almost heavy metalish guitar riff with a little bit of squealing and nice drum part behind it. It then goes quiet with Maynard singing about a "precious". The chorus picks back up into the metal feel and has some great lyrics talking about war and its effects.
11. Lullaby 4.0/10.0 Another weird filler..this one with who i presume is Maynard trying to sing about 2 octaves out of his range. (It could be Paz or another girl im not sure). An interesting listen but it sort of grates on your nerves after awhile.
12. Gravity 9.0/10.0 Nice closer song..sets the mood for the end of the cd and wraps up pretty much all thoughts that you might have. Good time sig. 7/8 for the entire song and some creative work through the entire band..Billy and James contribute even more melodic/haunting riffs and Twiggy lays down a nice backbone for the song. Josh comes through with a very unique part to the song and it seems to help push it along. Maynard comes through with some of his best singing to date with APC.
Overall i give Thirteenth Step a 4.5 out of 5 stars. It's a good cd..but a couple of songs bring down the overall feeling i think they were going for. In my opinion, it's not quite up to Mer De Noms. However, its well worth the purchase for any APC fan or anyone who loved Tool and wants to hear Maynard show his more melodic side.