Chiodos
Bone Palace Ballet


2.5
average

Review

by Iluvatar USER (168 Reviews)
September 16th, 2007 | 141 replies


Release Date: 2007 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Well, at least Chiodos don't suck THAT much anymore..

I don’t know, maybe Chiodos does get too much of a bad rep. Sure, Alls Well That Ends Well sucked a lot. A whole lot, actually. But then, Bone Palace Ballet is a really really really large step forward for the guys. I mean, the vocals still suck a whole lot and resemble really bad mixtures of Thomas Erak and Anthony Green, but at least they have a penchant for trying to create unique songs now. Its too bad it generally comes off as they’re just trying too hard for their own good.

Chiodos, at the end of the day, sound best as a really fun post-hardcore band with lots of pop-punk influence. They have plenty of upbeat melodies and frequently the use (excessive at times) of piano and strings really make listening to Chiodos seem like it could be a good time. Yeah Craig Owens voice is really strained and high pitched (read: gay), but I mean at times it is very catchy. All in all, they have a very good chance at becoming a better version of From First to Last meets The Fall of Troy really; except instead of a great drummers or guitarists they have solid guitarists and strange key + string incorporation.

Here is the giant downfall of Chiodos; they want to be a serious band. And they suck at it. All their attempts at being dark and brooding, at being morose and macabre, appearing to write dark songs all end up sounding incredibly forced and plainly stupid. Its obvious all the instruments are dying to be playing slightly progressive parts, in the vein of how Circa Survive rips off The Mars Volta, but they end up being relegated to second place behind really awkwardly placed key performances. Back to the main point here: Chiodos’ attempts at being a band you can take for serious (and at times even trying to pull of “intense”) are laughable, and generally end up being pretty self indulgent and ridiculous.

Another problem with the album is the songs constantly divert every which way at random times. The best thing I can compare it to that most people interested in this album have probably heard is The Use song “The Bird & the Worm.” The songs all try to progress strangely and I suppose interestingly; but what ends up occurring is it ends up being a giant ***ing mess of ideas. They jump from ideas to ideas with little real direction besides perhaps strings connecting the two or some terrible growl/scream over a pretty piano part. They do it over and over, and its really unfortunate considering they ruin great parts (like the first minute or so of “Teeth the Size of Piano Keys,” which could have been a full song and been fantastic) with following parts that just suck and reek of overreaching their abilities to write.

Chiodos have talent. I can’t deny that they really show here they could possibly write some great songs in the future, and maybe even put out a fully fleshed out album. Of course, its going to take a lot for me to like Craig Owens as a vocalist when he sounds like a dying cat a third of the time, a bad Thomas Erak/Anthony Green hybrid another third of the time, and the last third some weird extreme metal vocalist (a bad one at that). I cant rip on the album that badly though; there are genius parts to be found here and there, and I mean despite the fact they try to be dark on most of the songs they are still pretty bouncy a lot of the time. Chiodos gets points for the effort and promise; lets hope next time they can produce an album worth all the effort and live up to the expectation.



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user ratings (1094)
3.1
good
other reviews of this album
LaidToRest329 (3.5)
Chiodos has grown up quite a bit, it seems....

bbdmittenz (3.5)
Chiodos goes a tad dark, but never fails to impress on this release. Craig Owens & Company deliver s...

sukottokairu (4)
The new release by Chiodos shows a more medolic, mature side of the band. The band ranges its style ...



Comments:Add a Comment 
cbmartinez
September 17th 2007


2525 Comments


Man, that first track title is so obnoxious. Good review.

cbmartinez
September 17th 2007


2525 Comments


All the track title are just moronic, cliche scene bs

Intransit
September 17th 2007


2797 Comments


Life at These Speeds are nothing compared to these guys.

cbmartinez
September 17th 2007


2525 Comments


Yeah, probably illegitimate children's books or contrived adolescent literature that they read in high school.

Abaddon2005
September 17th 2007


684 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

Good review. Normally I don't like your first person story telling kind of style, but it seemed a bit more restrained in this one and was a nice read.



As for this album, I've only heard Lexington which I actually more or less liked, and it makes me want to check out the rest. Pretty cool cover art too.

Intransit
September 17th 2007


2797 Comments


Thanks for picking up on the one timer there CB

DaveBum69
September 17th 2007


699 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

people give these guys to much shit, I think there great, both albums, and there amazing live

Electric City
September 17th 2007


15756 Comments


I agree on your points about the voice being terrible and the ruining of what could have been good full songs by adding horrible sounding parts. Good review.

cbmartinez
September 17th 2007


2525 Comments


intransit: wut lol unless your referring to the random kid who came into the LATS thread and was like, "yeah, but chiodos are better"

cbmartinez
September 17th 2007


2525 Comments


Yeah, Bone Palace Ballet is pretty good but Led Zeppelin III is better

DWittisarockstar
September 17th 2007


1501 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

I really like Teeth The Size Of Piano Keys. Everything else is pretty much average.



And for some reason, I like the lead singer's voice.

eunicletio2
September 17th 2007


1 Comments


I liked this album. And even the guys voice. I didn't think it sounded like a dying cat at all. Oh well, to each his own.This Message Edited On 09.17.07

joshuatree
Emeritus
September 18th 2007


3744 Comments


if any one could send me this album i would be eternally grateful

joshuatree
Emeritus
September 18th 2007


3744 Comments


thanks for the offer but i just found a fast fucking torrent ill have it in a couple minutes

Abaddon2005
September 18th 2007


684 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

This was reaaaaallyyyy disappointing. a few good moments here and there, but overall just a slight step above their last album.

tribestros
September 18th 2007


918 Comments


I tried to listen to this album and write a review.

I can't get past the LEAD SINGER!

Mirror.Circuit
September 19th 2007


223 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

"Yeah Craig Owens voice is really strained and high pitched (read: gay)"



Great analogy.

Ignorance at it's finest.

mothersound
September 20th 2007


16 Comments


I disagree. "All's Well" was a far superior album. This is just cliche.

Scaggs
September 20th 2007


2 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

good review, I personally liked the first album better but that's probably because one of my roommates blast this one 24/7

dillydumdum
September 21st 2007


17 Comments


i really wnt to hear this i hope its good



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