Woe, Is Me
Genesi[s]

Release Date: 2012 | Tracklist

Unlike most of the metal community, I was a huge fan of Number[s]. It was what made Woe, Is Me one of my favorite bands. The production didn't sound too bad. The drums sounded more realistic than most of it's counterparts, the guitars were played flawlessly (before you say "it's all breakdowns," listen to the backing guitar), and the vocals were spot on. Michael's screams were a breath of fresh air and Tyler's cleans were some of the most unique in the "core" genres. The synth was amazing in every way possible. So why did I give this album a bad rating? Well, first off, you might notice that every part I praised about Number[s] is no longer there now. Tyler, Michael, Ben, and Cory all left (the first three being cleans, screams, and synth respectively). Tyler was the first to leave and when I heard him, I was impressed. He was no Tyler Carter but Tyler wasn't coming back so I accepted Hance. But then Michael and the Ferris brothers left. They picked up some new members and charged forward with Genesi[s]. An album that was supposed to be a new beginning (hence the title). I was so happy. Woe, Is Me is back. I downloaded the album. I listened to it. And all my hopes were shattered...

First off, the "intro" (titled "D-Day") is awful. It's a clusterf**k of cheesy audio samples with about 2,034,930 effects sprayed over it. There was so many people they could have picked to take the spots open in the band. So why the hell they went with Doriano Magliano (the monotone swagfag from That's Outrageous!) to pick up screams is beyond me. He does nothing special with his screams. He keeps the same tone through the whole entire album. It sickens me. Another thing I noticed is that the synth doesn't play a big of a part as it did in Number[s]. In fact, it barely plays a part at all! Normally, I welcome synth removal, but the synth is what made WIM exciting to listen to. Also, believe it or not, Number[s] was not all chugging like everyone says. Listen closely to the second guitar. There is a LOT of tap playing through the course of Number[s]. But Genesi[s]? Nope. It literally chugged and bended through the album. It's like they tried to go djent but they half-assed it. This is proved in "Call It Like You See It" (amazing title huh?) where the tempo is so slowed down, it's enough to make me go to sleep. Everything in this album is slowed down. It's like they tried to make a chopped and screwed metalcore album. Sounds disgusting doesn't it?

In conclusion, the only decent song on this album is "A Story To Tell." "I've Told You Once" isn't horrible but it gets old quick. "A Story To Tell" is the only song that is even close to the Number[s] sound and it's still far away from it. So after listening to this, I kept asking myself. What is this? What happened to the fast-paced, synth driven sound? What happened to the actually trying? What happened to Woe, Is Me? Let me tell you. They're dead. This is NOT Woe, Is Me. It can't be. Number[s] was just too good for this to sound like this...and if you didn't like Number[s], I can promise you, you will DESPISE this album. I'm pretty sure I almost threw up halfway through it. The drums are so artificial, it's rediculous, the guitars don't even try and sound synthesized. Bass is non-existent. And the screams...f**k off Doriano. Just die. Please. If any of you guys need me, I'll be listening to Issues.

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1.7 very poor

Rank: #0 for 2012