Review Summary: It’s maddening how great this album is.
Following the release of their eponymous debut album in 2015, Art of Anarchy had to start almost entirely from scratch. The vocalist who participated in the recording turned his back on the band for somewhat unclear reasons, so the required promotion was cut short from the get-go (though you might say that even bad press is still press). After a period of involuntary silence, in May 2016 the band named their new singer, who happened to be
Scott Stapp, the former
Creed vocalist. This was followed with the live debut of the new line-up in October, and already in March 2017 they released the second album – and the topic of today’s discussion – called
The Madness.
It is as clear as day that this “madness” does not just serve as a name for the LP, but acts as a recurring theme throughout it. It is most certain that the turbulent events in the history of the band and the personal issues Stapp went through a few years prior influenced their first joint effort. Even though we shouldn’t expect a highbrow concept album, what we can hope for is a collection of sturdy and energetic songs. And of those,
The Madness has aplenty.
Upon listening to the album, you immediately notice that this time the band has a much better understanding of the sound they want to achieve. The length of almost all tracks barely exceeds three and a half minutes, which results in not a single song overstaying its welcome (and sometimes even ending too soon), in turn leading to an enjoyable, pleasant and unforced listen (bolstered by the LP’s concise duration of 37 minutes). This time, unlike the unnecessarily cumbersome record from 2015, the band discarded every attempt to produce overly complex melodic structures, focusing instead on accessible hard rock standards, which turns out beneficial for us, the audience, and the
The Madness itself. The quality of all 10 cuts on the record is maintained at practically the same level, meaning any of the tracks could successfully find a home on rock radio. One of the apparent catalysts for such focus is definitely the participation of Howard Benson, the producer who had a hand in a number of highly successful releases in the 2000s.
As for Stapp, it should be admitted that he acquits himself completely. You can have different opinions of him as a person. You can claim that he is not one of the most versatile or unpredictable of singers. But it must also be stated that his straightforward, passionate, and bombastic delivery aligns completely with the band’s updated sound. All the required emotions are conveyed with broad but assured strokes, keeping in mind the prerequisite hooks and catchy melodies. He firmly keeps pace with his band members, creating a sense of chemistry and cohesion that was sorely lacking on their debut. Moreover, you can genuinely hear the joy Stapp experiences from working with his new partners-in-crime.
Without a doubt,
The Madness is a success. Yes, surely, this success is only relative in terms of the broader musical landscape. The record will not set the world on fire, but it definitely deserves its share of airplay and appreciation among devotees of solid, well-crafted hard rock. For this reason, we can congratulate Art of Anarchy on this fresh (and a lot more successful) start and wish them further accomplishments. In the meantime, we can look forward to their third album, which hopefully is somewhere on the horizon.
