Review Summary: You fucking tomato.
Bitterness and peacefulness don’t go hand in hand. It was never intended for both to exist at the same time. And yet there are some moments where it seems both can exist without the creation of any direct conflict. It’s disappointing that the bitterness often takes precedence over the peace, with the past consistently haunting and the present nothing more than a reflection of
what could have been. Before we know it, this strong feeling of resentment can turn into a completely different lifestyle. The sweeping devastation of negativity can be brought on by a group of people, or the decisions made by a handful of powerful leaders. However, there is nothing as truly and completely ravaging as constant rejection and a regret of a step that was never taken. This possible existence of resentment and peace symbiotically has the band creating an album which contrasts the effect of both on the individual. This is helped along by the differentiation between the acoustic and electric guitars, varying sound effects, and a consistently strong rhythm section.
Thirteenth Step finds Maynard and company successfully straddling that fine line between both ends of the spectrum. The amount of care, for whoever the subject may be, is absolutely incredible and heartfelt; regardless, there is also a strong and obvious remark of “I told you so” which could well be the final kick to end it all. Musically, the album is as haunting as the messages; the atmospheric overtones to the somewhat simple alternative rock song structures create an all-encompassing landscape, placing the listener right in the middle of the battlefield currently taking place in the being’s mind. There are definitely moments where the listener will think they’ve finally achieved peace (“Vanishing”, “The Nurse Who Loved Me”, “Lullaby”), only to be thrown back into the disenchantment and negativity of reality (“A Stranger”, “Pet”, “Gravity”). And while the songs searching for serenity are definitely incredible during the moments you’re listening to them, it’s the biting sarcasm in the darker tracks which will stick with you in the long run, further solidifying the idea that it’s much easier and
more fun to be pissed off. I hope it doesn’t kill us in the long run.
