Review Summary: I’ve got photographs of the devil that you let in
Asking Alexandria’s history with longtime vocalist Danny Worsnop has been relatively turbulent, and fueled with sheer unabashed alcoholism and dramatic antics. Nearly five years later after Danny’s daughter was killed and his multi-band careers left the hole inside him unfilled, he returned to his original band of musical brothers with that new world of sobering experience underneath his belt with every intention to tell the world what he’s gone through and unload the pain that he feels. Asking Alexandria’s self-titled is an experimental triumph, where every part of the eclectic sound is cohesive and serves to push Danny’s sorrows to the front of the mix.
There’s three things to know about this record before going into listen to it; the production values favor a more blended approach to the sound, the album experiments more as it goes along, and this is the most Danny-centric record in their discography. Speaking of Danny, his vocals have never shone brighter here. Choosing to cut down on the harsh vocals from previous efforts, he instead lets his bolstered clean vocal ability take center stage; song like “When the Lights Come On” shows his capacity for gruff and anthemic chants that cause a song’s entire energy to boom, while his vulnerable falsetto on the apologetic and emotionally raw “Vultures” shows his vastly improved tonal control. That’s not to say that the heavier aspects have completely left their sound, songs like “Eve” showcase Danny’s matured screams in a way similar to Austin Carlile’s harsher growls in the deluxe version of Of Mice and Men’s ‘The Flood’ but, here they’re a good deal deeper and less throaty. There’s not one moment on this album vocally that drags the experience down in the slightest; the rest of the band’s members toss in supporting vocals every once and a while to help propel Danny’s notes up even higher, particularly lead guitarist Ben Bruce, as his unique heavily accented style is utilized differently than previous works. Ben’s particularly shines on tracks such as “Empire” where his higher notes bounce effortlessly off of featuring rapper’s Bingx’s infectiously energetic flow and endearing charisma before the song dips into Danny’s melodically driven chorus.
Instrumentally, this album is varied and focuses on the overall atmosphere rather than the individual members shining and as a result achieves a more layered operatic anthem rock sound, rather than their previous metalcore efforts. The guitar is melded in the mix aptly, and allows for the complex sweeping arrangements in songs like “Hopelessly Hopeful” to boost the chorus to new heights and not detract the listener’s attention from the overall product. This increased level of technicality without obnoxious flaunting is present on every track on this release. The bass mostly follows along with the guitar for the better, bar transitional pieces in tandem with the ambient-esque interludes where the impact of its placing in the mixing can be truly appreciated. The drumming has also taken a skillful upturn, utilizing frequent double bass and varying up the drum pot with many entertaining fills and side-steps. The electronics switched styles completely; in a complete U-turn from the Bring Me the Horizon ‘That’s the Spirit’-lite approach from Asking Alexandria’s previous album ‘The Black’, this album focuses on blending ambient strings with a post-rock vibe and acoustic flushes with electronically enhanced choir arrangements and bright, shimmery synth work reminiscent of Explosions in the Sky’s 2007 effort ‘All of a Sudden, I Miss Everyone.’ There are sequences that utilize the band’s trance influenced roots, but they’re used tastefully such as the bubbly synth line in the chorus of “Under Denver.”
Experimentation can make or break a band in the mainstream almost entirely due to the reason for said drastic changes. Given the reasoning for the change and the band’s renewed vigor due to their brother’s return, Asking Alexandria’s self-titled gets everything right, and fully showcases the potential that everyone who listened to the band recognized over the course of their decade of existence. This album will be used as a beacon for the mainstream scene, and is the band’s magnum opus by a green mile.
