Dead Poetic
Vices


3.5
great

Review

by Julio Babilonia USER (16 Reviews)
June 23rd, 2007 | 30 replies


Release Date: 2006 | Tracklist

Review Summary: This album is the turning point of a band that is looking for it's identity.

Vices is Dead Poetic’s third album and so far their best. After the release of their second album, New Medicine, Dead Poetic went trough an extensive change when bass guitarist Chad Shellabarger, drummer Josh Shellabarger, and guitarist Todd Osborn left the band. However, that change proved to be for the best by freeing them from the things that were holding them back, giving them chance to extend their musical boundaries, and to show that they are a serious band that are focus on making good music.

From the beginning it is noticeable how the band has moved from their previous sound in search for something new. The album opener, Cannibal VS. Cunning, has a more metallic-hard rock feel to it than anything Dead Poetic has done before. With great strong guitar riffs, pounding drums, and hard heavy vocals this track is a good example of how they extended their musical boundaries. The next track, Lioness, is the same style as the first track but with a faster pace. It is catchy, but it drags and it is not up to the standard of the album. Now after listening to these two tracks you might be thinking something along the lines of “so this is the type of sound that Dead Poetic chose to follow”, but if that’s the case then you’ll be mistaken.

One of the highlights of the album, the third track Self-Destruct And Die, changes the pace established in the first two songs. It goes back to Dead Poetic’s older sound, although not completely. It is slower and more melodic with excellent vocals, and an impressive wall of sound that makes it one of the best tracks. Just as fast as the band reminded us that they haven’t forgotten their roots, they change the style again with the song Narcotic. The best songs of the album, Narcotic has a classic rock and roll sound around it, you just can’t help but move and dance when you listen to it. I never though Dead Poetic could ever pull a song like this off, but they did it perfectly.

By explaining the first four songs of the album I mean to show that Vices never stands still. Song after song it keeps changing, sometimes more punk, others more hard rock, there is also straight rock and a little alternative, Pretty Pretty brings a poppier sound, and some songs go back a little to their previous album the most noticeable being The Victim. All this constant change brings a problem because it feels like too much too fast, and there isn’t quiet something to hold on to. By themselves most of the songs are really good with a couple of bland uninspired moments spread trough the album, but when you are listening to the album as a whole it changes too much. It is good that there is variety, but Vices goes a little too far. The album doesn’t have something that holds it together and that makes it unique as it seems that Dead Poetic is trying different styles in order to figure out in which way to go in the future.

On the other hand, the band demonstrates that they have the ability to work with different style and that they do it well. In this album they go from one style to the next successfully working them and proving their amount of musical range. It is evident the amount of musical improvement that the new members brought to the band and how one can feel the emotion and the intensity in the vocals. The ever present beautiful melodies that Dead Poetic has always maintained have now improved in an amazing fashion, playing during the whole album in a way that can’t be ignore. Even their lyrics are more mature and though out than before.

Overall, Vices is to be a turning point album for a band that is looking for a specific road to follow. Great on its own account, it is a reflection that this band is serious about their music and once they find their comfort zone they can be a strong musical force. It is a fun and catchy album that it’s too long for its own good, lasting over one hour, and that has too much variety. If Dead Poetic can find their unique sound and keep this sort of improvement and good music I for one can’t wait to listen to their next album.

Recommended Tracks:
Narcotic
Long Forgotten
Vices
Self-Destruct And Die



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user ratings (188)
3.3
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
Cesar
June 23rd 2007


2732 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

I was surprised noone had review this yet so there you go. Hope it came out good.

Fort23
June 23rd 2007


3775 Comments


This band and album is average, but the band is WAYY better than this record.

Excellent review, I voted.
PS
This has nothing to do with the review, but stop going to hot topic.

Cesar
June 23rd 2007


2732 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Thanks very much for the vote. Why do you say the Hot Topic thing?

Fort23
June 23rd 2007


3775 Comments


Well it was on, what I believe you're last review, that you listened to the funeral for a friend record in Hot Topic and....I just hate Hot Topic.
On the other hand I guess that having a place to listen to albums is actually not a bad idea so, now that I think of it....
I don't know it dosen't matter. Who knows. I might be the next one at Hot Topic listening to something.O_o
.This Message Edited On 06.23.07

understone
June 24th 2007


51 Comments


New Medicine was good, haven't listen to this one. Great review.

x28x06x42x12
June 24th 2007


64 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I have this album. it's decent, but not the best stuff. I like it though. Took me forever to get into it.

Cesar
February 12th 2008


2732 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

This album grew down on me, its good but not as I originally though. New Medicine is better.

MediocreAtBest
February 12th 2008


1473 Comments


Yah I thought what I've heard off this was meh compared to New Medicines, which was a meh record in itself.

roofi
February 12th 2008


959 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

I actually like this more than New Medicines.

Cesar
February 12th 2008


2732 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

At first I liked this more than New Medicine, but after it grew down on me and giving NM another chance I realized that NM is better.

roofi
February 12th 2008


959 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

My favorite DP songs are on New Medicines, but this one's more consistent, I think.

tchitch
February 13th 2008


15 Comments


One thing I'd like to mention about this album is that it sounds like they put alot of time and effort into the drumming, because the drumming is in fact amazing....listen closely to it. It's so perfect.

roofi
February 13th 2008


959 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

The drumming is good, but he did a better job on Demon Hunter's Summer of Darkness disc.

MediocreAtBest
February 13th 2008


1473 Comments


Yah fo sho. Demon Hunter's music calls for more involved drumming than DP anyhow.

tchitch
February 16th 2008


15 Comments


Never paid particularly close attention to Demon Hunter's drumming...I'll have to listen for that.


AgentZero
June 22nd 2009


322 Comments


No mention of paralytic? Definitely a standout track. Chino and his trademark haunting vocals. C'mon!

ScorpionStan
June 22nd 2009


1911 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

yeah the album is pretty generic, but for pure, catchy power-chord rock it's one of the best albums out there imo. Cannibal Vs. Cunning, Narcotic, Long Forgotten, Pretty Pretty, & The Victim are chunky power-chord rock at it's best.

bloc
October 7th 2009


70683 Comments


copy of a copy is awesome

Kashmir09
October 7th 2009


771 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

This was a pretty cool album, definitely better than their first album I thought, although genre switches usually don't go over well with fans. They went from being an angst ridden post-hardcore-ish band, to an almost watered down Deftones/Thrice, but most of it works imo.

Kashmir09
October 7th 2009


771 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Also can't go wrong with a disc that Chino Moreno makes an appearance on



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