|
| |
|
|
|
Review Summary: On their sophomore effort, House of Heroes dares to do the impossible: write a grandiose rock opera-esque album, covering space, time, religion, and yes, even Communist love. Does it work? Hell yes. It is truly a weird feeling to give an new album a 5 star rating. Living in the age of monotonous powerpop bands spawning every day to the success of a hit single or two, it's rare to rate anything above a four. These soundalike bands have worn many, including myself, down to become bitter and, frankly, bored with a lot of music. House of Heroes, albeit having a pretty lame moniker to some, have always seemed to make quirky, yet hook-filled and awesomely radio-friendly rock. On their sophomore effort though, the band dares to do the impossible: write a grandiose rock opera-esque album, covering space, time, religion, and yes, even Communist love. Sounds like a failure, right? To my surprise, the album ends up being the polar opposite of a sophomore slump, and gets my vote for being one of the best albums of 2008.
The End is Not The End, being one of the weirdest and longest albums I've heard in a while (16 songs, 15 plus one hidden track) has plenty of high points. Songs like "If" and "Code Name: Raven" sound like mutated songs of the 50's, the former opening with organs and sounds like swing music, morphing into a heavier sound by the chorus. Then the band really sinks their hands into weirder, grandiose cuts like "In The Valley of the Dying Son", which boasts a slightly odd disco-esque chorus and climatic end with singer Tim Skipper howling "I'm living to shine on". I don't even have to imagine you're thinking this sounds like an awful record. But the true beauty of this album is it couldn't have worked with any other band. The key element in this band's success, I believe, lies in singer Tim Skipper, with his incredible range and howl that drives many of these tracks to become classics. No band can dare to combine a relaxed, beautiful song about brothers dying in war for glory and love ("By Your Side") and a sharp, witty song about being in a romantic relationship with a Communist ("Baby's A Red") As blasphemous as some may view this, this album is probably one of the most daring and grandiose rock operas since the heyday of Meat Loaf. Before I get the pitchforks and fire for using the Meat's name "in vain", the proof is honestly in the music. There is hardly any band out there who is daring enough to make an album quite as grandiose as this, and only one in my book who could ever succeed.
| other reviews of this album |
|
2 paragraphs for a 5?
You could've described pretty much everything a lot more.
Living in the age of monotonous powerpop bands spawning every day to the success of a hit single or two, it's rare to rate anything above a four.
stop watching tv. well mTV and VH1.
| | |
Communist Love
hehe
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
okey review- but this definitely doesnt deserve a five ...
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
[quote="SnackaryBinx"]2 paragraphs for a 5? You could've described pretty much everything a lot more.[/quote]
A review is meant to be a relatively short and concise overview of a record and my thoughts on it. If I went into two or three more paragraphs about it, I'm willing to bet you'd be complaining of its length and how I'd need to cut parts out.
And I don't watch music channels. I, in fact, try avoiding many of them because they feature the many monotonous artists I was referring to. Those were my own thoughts of music today, not MTV's.
| | |
2 paragraphs isn't a short and concise review, it's a long sound off.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
[quote="SnackaryBinx"]2 paragraphs isn't a short and concise review, it's a long sound off.[/quote]
Alright then, if I added another couple paragraphs, then I guess it constitutes as a massive sound off. I think 2 paragraphs keep readers interested long enough to skim a good portion of it. If I kept rambling, people wouldn't read the whole thing. I know I wouldn't.
| | |
I suggest writing at least three. They can be short, but three: one for intro, one for music, and one for conclusion.
| | |
your short attention span is not my problem. I think my 7 angels 7 plagues review was pretty nice length. The paragraphs are probably short and could be combined, but the overall length of it is very good and I got a lot of things in.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
[quote="SnackaryBinx"]your short attention span is not my problem.[/quote]
Thank you so much for telling me just because someone writes a giant review and I don't read every word that I have a short attention span. Your little self-promotion right after it was a nice touch too. As I previously stated, I got what I felt was enough in and it would be pointless to write about every single song.
Can we honestly talk about the music and not how much my reviews aren't quite up to par with yours?
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
[QUOTE=snacakrybinks]2 paragraphs isn't a short and concise review, it's a long sound off.[/QUOTE]
the end is not the end
| | |
Can we honestly talk about the music and not how much my reviews aren't quite up to par with yours?
sure lets talk about the music. wait, I read your review, never heard of this band. Have no idea in hell what this sounds like. That's what I'm talking about when I say add more paragraphs.
You should really describe the music itself, so people who've never heard it before should at least have an idea of what they're getting into.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
This band interests me & giving this album a perfect 5 rating definitely hypes me up to give it a listen.
Just 2 related things on your review. Try not to use the word 'sophomore' as it really isn't used outside of America. But I personally know that it basically means '2nd', which is I believe incorrect here as this is House of Heroes' 3rd album (even excluding a re-release).
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Yeah I am actually enthused by the rating. I loved these guys s/t.
| | |
I've heard a lot about this. Dunno if I'd really be into it, although the amount of praise I've heard for this alone warrants it a listen or two.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
[quote="DaveyBoy"]But I personally know that it basically means '2nd', which is I believe incorrect here as this is House of Heroes' 3rd album (even excluding a re-release).[/quote]
Yeah, I meant to clarify that. It really isn't technically their second release, they've had 4 albums (3 if you count one as a reissue), but this is their second on an indie label, so that is what I meant.
[quote="Kirgasm"]Dunno if I'd really be into it, although the amount of praise I've heard for this alone warrants it a listen or two. [/quote]
I've listened it through a couple more times and I stand by the fact that it's very theatrical. Some songs, like "Voices", have these choirs backing the band that either sounds epic or lame, depending on your taste. I still say give it a listen, it's streaming via Relevant Magazine's website. I'll post a link while they still have it, scroll over to the third album on the cover flow:
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/thedrop.php
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
who cares if the review was short? all that matters is that this is a damn good album that everyone should own.
| | |
i care, because i'd like to know what the band sounds like, which i don't know at all from this review
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
I never really like House Of Heroes before this, but this album is amazing.
My favorite songs are In The Valley Of The Dying Sun and Code Name: Raven.
Can't wait 'til it comes out in a physical form.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
This album just isn't that good yet
| | | |
|
| |
