Review Summary: It's an acquired taste, though you can't say they didn't try to be different.
When you go into most things the first time, chances are you'd hate it, only to change your mind the more you do it. I listened to Evolve for the first time and I hated it, but the more I went back to it, the more I understood it, and the more I liked it. When compared to other nu metal bands of the era, I could at least call this album something of its own.
Right off the bat, I dig the image the band wants to portray from their album cover to their overall appearance. Going for a modest sci-fi appeal (which beats the hell out of spiked up hair and jumpsuits.) They have their own identity, but how does the music stack up? Essentially, it's good enough.
The track listing in general has a good flow to it. After an interference-laden introduction, we're introduced to, honestly, the band's weaker offerings. Vocalist Gil Bitton channels his inner Mike Shinoda (or whatever nu metal rapper pops into your head) for most of the album, and the result is mediocre lyricism and equally mediocre delivery. The rap-laden tracks are the album's weakest offerings, and when I first listened to the album it served as a huge turn off for me.
By track six (another transitional track), we go from mediocre rapping to straight-up industrial. Bitton's vocals have a digitized overlay, which gives each of these industrial tracks a decent bite. It's here that Endo's true potential unfolds. At this point, I pick up on Endo's possible influence. I'm getting a very modest Marilyn Manson vibe from these tracks, which is hardly a bad thing, and a fair difference could be drawn between the two.
To sum up the performers, the instruments blend in for every song, enabling the melodies of the vocalist to hold a higher baring, and that's fine because Gil Bitton's chops are easy on the ears and mend well with the instrumentation. They just enhance the listening experience.
And that's really it for the album. It starts off bumpy, but you'd find some enjoyment at some point in the album, whether it be the somewhat cheesy rap-centric start, or the more melodic industrial follow-ups. Pick your poison.
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Evolve is an acquired taste. It may take more than one listen for you to really get into it but once you do, you could see that Endo had the potential to be something more than just another face in the nu metal crowd. Although, if you're into a more straightforward affair, though then you should check out their next album Songs for the Restless.
