Review Summary: Lost the random trance beats that made them unique, whilst improving they're songs ALOT
Meet Asking Alexandria's second album.
If you heard Stand Up and Scream, you know that the band, while good had some major flaws:
excessive number of breakdowns(The Final Episode), songs that downgrade the album (Nobody Don't Dance No More), repetitive song moments (A candlelit Dinner With Inamorta)...
While I could pull a "scene boy fan lover" and say "they've mastered all their flaws", I would be telling a really big lie.
Song By Song Review:
Welcome: Begins with a organ/gothic church like beat that leads to Danny screaming some really mediocre lyrics (We're back again/let's make a toast), they could at least wait for the 4th album to scream that since they haven't been around all that long.
Dear Insanity: Above average song, shows the superb high/low screams of Danny, doesnt have exaggerated breakdown's, catchy chorus, and better yet, no cheesy lyrics.
Closure: Yeah, it starts with a breakdown, could be worse.
Worst complain about the song it enters a stupid trance beat for Danny to sing, not that it's bad, but I was excepting a really powerfull chorus when it ended, except we get " I'm everything you need to make this scene what should have been" cocky much?
A Lesson Never Learned: God I hate this song so much, it's so heavy and boom out of nowhere, a chorus that has no energy whatsoever, it's like it has no place in this song, also repetitive breakdowns.
I do like the catastrophic beat that's on the background.
To The Stage: SUPERB Song, even tough the lyrics are obvious and repetitive, it's really good.
It has a lot of high point's (Oh, she's drowned/how very spectacular/what a work of art i've spawned), (I was the end of her/in her head in control), and the chorus is also sick.
Dedication: Someone reading a "poem", with a ballad on the background that leads to someone somewhere.
Someone Somewhere: I am not a fan on this song, people say they made it inspired by 80's rock, but I dont see resemblace, unless they call lack of breakdowns, screams and wait for it, wait for it yes, yes an Asking Alexandria guitar solo, not technical wath so ever, but catchy non the less.
Breathless:Weak song structure, makes the song only good for a few listens, then it get old and possibly annoying.
It does show how far the vocalist took the screams(the growls too be more precise) and the clean singing.
The breakdown after the "RUH!" did get stuck in my head.
The Match: The lyrics in this song are mediocre or less, and while the presentation is good the chorus is repeated way too often, and since it really isn't a good one, it makes the song boring after a few listens.
The best things in the song happen after 2:20
Another Bottle Down: The breakdown is streched a bit too long for my liking.
The chorus is also catchy and memorable, and personally I still haven't got sick of it.
Reckless And Relentless: What to say about this song?
It's sick to say the least, the intro screamed by Danny saying (Music is fucking dead/It's thanks to you cunts stabbing it in the fucking chest/You, and every one of these fake, righteous, undeserving bands/Fuck you!) has actually got a good message.
The guitar work is also goodm, screams too.
Worst part is in no part of the song the " I am Rock N Roll" is screamed instead of yelled.
Morte Et Dabo:Favourite song on the album, and they're heaviest song on the album, and any other album actually.
Everything in this song sit's righ, the breakdown in conjunction with Danny's vocals, makes itthe ms«ost memorable breakdown they have.
As for the lyrics, tons of bands have anti-religious messages(think suicide Silence) and don't get bashed for it.
Reckless and Relentless is a major step up from Stand Up and Scream, showcasing better vocals and guitar work, as for the drums they've always been good above average actually.
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