Review Summary: If Linkin Park’s angst-ridden stepchildren produced an album
The definition of a guilty pleasure,
blacklist_ by all rights should not be as enjoyable as it is. With a sound reminiscent of Linkin Park’s golden age, albeit much heavier, Dangerkids pursue a musical vision that stands out as markedly different among many of their peers. This style, while enjoyable at times, lacks support from its paint-by-numbers instrumentalism and lyrics, often coming across as simple, repetitive, and dated.
blacklist_ is at its strongest when it’s chomping at the bit with energy in what can be best described as straightforward unapologetic fun. Notably, “Things Could Be Different”, “Summoner’s Rift”, and the album opener “Kill Everything” are raucous cuts that would satisfy any nu-metal fanboy. Industrial-inspired walls of guitar support verses formed with a blend of rap and urgent screaming. Soaring sing-along choruses give way to electronically-backed breakdowns that beg the listener to move. It is in tracks such as these that the group is at their strongest, with a fast-paced formula that harkens back to the nostalgia-soaked fun of nu-metal, moving fast enough to cover up the inadequacies that plague the rest of the album.
Among the most prominent issues with
blacklist_ is an induced sense of listener fatigue, with predictable song structures and lyrics that are juvenile at best. Admittedly common issues, they nonetheless cause an album that should fly by to drag on longer than its 38 minute runtime. This is magnified by unimagined lyrics, easily the weakest part of the album’s foundation. Fighting against the system and proving doubters wrong can only be used as inspiration so many times before this theme passes its expiration date. To be fair, lyrical standards for albums such as this are far from lofty, but there does exist a bare minimum standard.
blacklist_ fails to clear even this low bar. This problem is amplified as lyrics feel interchangeable between tracks, an issue that causes the album to bleed together in monotony.
The issue with lyrics on
blacklist_ is two-fold, as it is not only repetitive but also extremely generic, similar to many of the other techniques used on the album. An overuse of vocal filters and effects may have been intended to engineer an industrial sound but falls flat, coming off as unnecessary overproduction. With the exception of a small solo tucked away at the end of “Crawl Your Way Out”, the guitar work follows simple chord progressions throughout the album. To top off these cliches,
blacklist_ predictably ends off on an acoustic ballad, “Invincible Summer”, which is about as inventive and unique as the track’s title would lead one to believe. The unfortunate placement of this track is rather abrupt when compared with the rest of the album, resulting in a sudden change in tempo that can cause the listener to wonder if they’ve switched to a different album altogether. “Invincible Summer” is easily the worst track on
blacklist_. The slow pace of an acoustic ballad can’t hide the repetitive lyrics or mask the simple instrumentalism like chaotic and energetic cuts such as “Things Could Be Different” succeed in doing. This principle can also be applied to much of the rest of the album where the more the group lets off the gas pedal, the worse it gets and the more noticeable the problems are.
With all these critiques of
blacklist_ it would be easy to write it off as a basic filler album with few redeeming qualities, but for all the criticism that Dangerkids may receive, they should be commended for attempting to pursue a more unique sound, even if the final product may come off as juvenile and oversimplified. It would be difficult to mistake
blacklist_ as an album by anyone other than the Dangerkids, and while it may be far from the album of the year, the group has succeeded in cementing a unique identity.
blacklist_ is at its most successful a record filled with simple straightforward fun, and for many listeners when combined with a healthy sense of nu-metal nostalgia can be an enjoyable blast from the past with a modernized twist, just don’t come expecting any inventive instrumentalism or lyrical insights.
Recommended Tracks: “Kill Everything”, “Things Could Be Different”, “Summoner’s Rift”