Review Summary:
"Strip it away and see what's on the inside" a quote from the album's title track and a fitting description of Asking Alexandria's seventh album as a whole.
See What's On The Inside sees Asking Alexandria, as the lyric suggests, strip back all the bells and whistles they have accumulated throughout the years since stepping away from their metalcore roots in favor of a more consumer-friendly sound. This shift started with their third album From Death to Destiny, which saw the band's influences from groups such as Skid Row and Mötley Crüe shine through in more ways than just their "rock 'n' roll lifestyle," with big choruses and flashy guitar riffs.
The band did briefly return to their roots with their fourth album The Black, which saw Denis Stoff from Make Me Famous take over lead vocal duties from Danny Worsnop, who left in 2015. However, the band has all but disregarded that album. Much like See What's On The Inside's runtime, Stoff's tenure with Asking Alexandria was a short affair, with Worsnop returning by the end of 2016. As such, The Black could, for all intents and purposes, be regarded as more of a side project than an official Asking Alexandria record. It certainly seems like the band views it that way.
With Worsnop back in the fold, the band released their commercially successful self-titled album, followed by their more divisive endeavor Like a House On Fire. Both albums ventured further into what is often described as "octanecore," with the self-titled album retaining some heavier elements while Like a House On Fire was a straight-up party rock record comparable to bands like Imagine Dragons.
Fast forward to 2021, and we are presented with See What's On The Inside. While it is in no way, shape, or form the return to form that a large part of their fanbase has been asking for, it is instead their most focused album in years. The band ditches the excessive vocal effects, party songs, electronic elements, and, by this point, forced breakdowns in favor of a thoroughly thought-out rock album from front to back. Sound-wise, the album is similar to songs like “Moving On” from *From Death to Destiny* and “Under Denver” from their self-titled album, which were among the more rock-oriented songs on their respective records.
Overall, *See What's On The Inside* comes off as an earnest attempt at creating a rock album rather than chasing clout or pandering to fans of their older material. It’s a straightforward record with big choruses and simple but loud guitars. It’s packed with huge melodic hooks that complement Worsnop's new vocal style and range far better than their previous album did. Songs like “Find Myself” and “See What's On The Inside” allow Worsnop to shine rather than come off as constrained or uninspired. The same can be said for lead guitarist Ben Bruce, who contributes tasteful fills and solos that would have felt out of place on their previous albums. The riffs themselves are nothing to write home about—relying, in true Asking Alexandria fashion, heavily on chugs and power chords—but See What's On The Inside is a more vocal-driven album, with guitars on songs like “Misery Loves Company” adding a nice touch.
The aforementioned electronic elements, which have been a staple of the band’s sound since their debut Stand Up and Scream, have taken a big step back, with loud synths and orchestral arrangements leading the charge, especially on songs like the anthemic “Alone Again.”
Staying with “Alone Again” for a moment, the song’s intro is split into a separate track that serves as the album’s opener—an odd choice, considering it builds up the song nicely on an album that, even with the intro included, clocks in at just 40 minutes of playtime.
That being said, the deluxe edition of the album extends the runtime quite a bit, even if only two out of the eight additional tracks are new songs, with the rest being acoustic renditions and a refreshing take on “Faded Out” featuring Within Temptation. The new songs complement the album nicely: “New Devil,” featuring Maria Brink of In This Moment, marks the return of Worsnop’s absent screams, while “Miles Away” features the return of Bruce on lead vocals. The remaining five acoustic renditions are, fortunately, fully-fledged re-recordings rather than simple direct-input acoustics with the original vocal tracks pasted over them. “See What's On The Inside” and “Find Myself” are once again the stand-outs. While they don’t surpass the original songs, I appreciate the effort—just as I do with See What's On The Inside as a whole.
A respectable effort from a band that was seemingly running out of steam.
