Review Summary: This 6th LP ends the Aiden/Victory Records partnership, and shows Aiden still have something to say, giving them probably one (last) chance to prove they are still relevant in their next, independent release.
Aiden have come a long way since releasing their 2005 hit - Nightmare Anatomy. From participating on the International Taste of Chaos tour, and playing on Download festival's main stage, to playing small clubs and bars in the US. With the release of their Victory Records farewell album "Some Kind of Hate", which features artwork already used back in the Anatomy days, the band seems to have come full circle, ending their Victory escapade right as they started it - as a small punk band from Seattle.
On Sputnik, Aiden have always fallen into the group of generally hated bands, sometimes for valid reasons (probably nothing can justify the atrocity that the One Love video was), other times for no apparent reason at all. Despite that, few can argue with the fact that Aiden have never been afraid to experiment, change their style, even if it meant losing a great chunk of their fan base. They never took the "safe" road, and always made the record (and music video) they themselves wanted to make. All of this led Aiden to their latest release - a just over 30 minute, 10 song CD, which encompasses everything that the band has gone through over the past years. Miles away from sounding like Conviction (the album that One Love was on), on Some Kind of Hate Aiden have perfected their aggressive, yet extremely catchy sound that they seem to be most comfortable in. Suffering from poor promotion by Victory Records, SKOH preformed horribly in terms of sales, failing to chart, but in the end, is not at all a bad album.
It opens up with
There Will Be Blood, which is one of the most memorable Aiden songs. ("There will be blood /And violence in the panicked streets /Can you feel the danger?") It was chosen to be the theme song for TNA Genesis Wrestling 2012, and it gives us a good a taste of what the album will be like - not over produced, with a raw punk sound, but at the same time pulling off a booming pop-punk chorus with catchy guitar hooks. Strangely enough, There Will Be Blood also has a countdown (ten to one), which usually ends up being extremely cheesy in songs, but here it fits in very well.
Track number 2 means
Broken Bones , which was chosen as the first, and only single. Here, the infamous blunt Aiden lyrics come into play ("We were dying out there / thriving on the streets" among others), as William Francis seems to be the the only person on this planet who can die and thrive at the same time. But hey, maybe I just didn't get it. The gang vocals in this song bear great resemblance to the Misfit's American Psycho.
Irony in the Shadows is the name of track number 3, which thankfully steps up in the lyric department. Combined with a great melody, solid drums, and guitar playing, it leads to a very enjoyable song. Next comes
London Dungeon, where Aiden once again show their love for the Misfits. Surprisingly, Francis's often overly criticized, and unique singing style fits in very well into this cover. Number 5 is called
Deactivate, which has some very Orwellian-like themes ("Thought police/and sanctioned crime/I still see a glimmer of hope", or "You'll never take my right to think"). The melody and musicianship is great = solid song!
Grotesque Vanity - sounds like an experiment, and steps out of line from all the other songs. I really don't know what to think of it, even after numerous listens. At only 1:40, the song finishes off quickly, before it starts to get annoying, so it freshens up the whole album in it's own way. Out of the 2 covers on this album,
Transmission is definitely the less enjoyable one. Despite the nice bass guitar intro and drumming, William Francis's voice just does not blend well into the slow beginning of the song. Just beyond the halfway mark though, the tempo starts to pick up, and William feels right at home singing Dance / Dance / Dance / Dance / Dance to the radio, giving a better overall impression of the whole song.
The next couple of songs -
Freedom From Religion and
The Courage to Carry On, are typical Aiden punk-rock songs. The lyrics in the first mentioned address religion, but in a intelligent way - "The promise of shame / and heaven is a lie", and the guitar riff is one of the best Aiden have ever played. Lasting just under 2 minutes, it leaves the listener wanting more. That is fulfilled with
The Courage to Carry On, which does not disappoint, and slowly closes off the album before the last song -
In The End. Being the longest on SKOH (3:46), it contains everything that Aiden do/don't do so well. A hardcore beginning with nice riffs, followed by a strong chorus, and gang vocals,
In The End finishes off with these lyrics: "In the end / we fall / Will you all shine?". It certainly is an interesting way of ending the album, and leaves a good overall impression of Some Kind of Hate!
