Million Dead are a post-hardcore or emo-core (I dont know what the genres mean anymore) band, but whos lyrical matter is more varied than the typical my girl-friend hates me lyrics. They also tend to lean towards a more At the Drive-In sound, yet still keeping the sound fresh and original.
A Song to Ruin
Pornography for Cowards is an excellent opener, and shows you what to expect from this band, right from the start. The screaming vocals lead into Franks singing, and his lyrics about the Pornography industry, in particular his disgust with it. Although the shortest song on the album, it does a great job of getting you in the mood for the rest of the album. The highlight for me is the beginning guitar riff, simple yet effective.
Smiling at Strangers on Trains is somewhat more accessible than the rest of the album, bar Breaking the Back, yet never sacrifices the energy of the band, which makes them so great.
The closer, The Rise and Fall starts just as frantically as the rest of the album, then proceeds to start a hypnotic, ongoing piece to finish of this excellent album. Although my least favourite song on the album, its still a brilliant song, and worth listening to from beginning to end.
For those looking for your typical macho rock band, you've come to the wrong place. Thos band asserts brain, as well as a powerful music to create a brilliant album. If I had to say one negative point about this album, it would be that some songs sound slightly the same, but this isnt too much of a problem to me, seeing as how all the songs are of extremely high quality.
4/5
And, as a side note, I purposely reviewed tracks towards the beggining, middle and end of the album, to save time, and to get more detailed looks at each song.
Thank you for reading :)
