A few album reviews...

[DFF]

Every so often I do album reviews. Here are a few I posted on my forum.

"Fallen" by Evanescence

The album that has brought the American metallers four hits singles (three of which charted in the top 10).

The album, as a whole, is a very solid effort, with no poor songs. There are, however, a few stand out tracks. #1 single Bring Me To Life, the delightfully dark Haunted, and the tear jerkers in Hello and My Immortal are what lift this album above the "decent, solid" status. There are only, maybe, two tracks that don't quite follow through with the quality of the rest of the album. Tourniquet is quite bland, but is saved by a powerful chorus. My Last Breath doesn't quite have the same hooks as most of the other tracks, and does seem a little like a filler track.

Whisper closes the album out well with the epic choral sound closing the album in a way that makes you want to hear more.

Overall, a good, strong album with some stand out efforts.

7.5/10

Track Listing:

1. Going Under

2. Bring Me To Life

3. Everybody's Fool

4. My Immortal

5. Haunted

6. Tourniquet

7. Imaginary

8. Taking Over Me

9. Hello

10. My Last Breath

11. Whisper

Check Out: Haunted, Bring Me To Life, My Immortal

"Dance of Death" by Iron Maiden

Latest offering from Heavy Metal legends led by Bruce Dickinson. Follow-up to Brave New World.

Wildest Dreams and Rainmaker are decent enough openers. The latter probably a better song, but the former more catchy. No More Lies is a brilliant epic telling the story of the last supper, and the history-laddened Montsegur and Paschendale are strong points of the album. The first is the heaviest song they've written/recorded for years, and the latter is the true centre-piece of the album (along with Dance Of Death itself).

Between Dance Of Death and Paschendale are the weaker offerings on the album. Not bad songs - they just don't seem to have that energy... that something. The album closes with Journeyman - and what's this? Maiden doing an acoustic track! (And WHAT a song it is too! A true spark of brilliance).

Face In The Sand is also a very good track, with some truely masterful hooks.

Whilst there are no bad songs on the album, one or two seem to just come up short. However, these tracks are good enough to tide you over until you hit the next masterpiece. Indeed, maybe they seem to be inferior because of the quality of the tracks surrounding them? Anyway, Bruce still manages to make even the lesser tracks seem of great importance and epic quality to that of some of the true brilliance of some of the others. A damn good album - no - a brilliant album.

Track Listing:

1. Wildest Dreams

2. Rainmaker

3. No More Lies

4. Montsegur

5. Dance Of Death

6. Gates Of Tomorrow

7. New Frontier

8. Paschendale

9. Face In The Sand

10. Age Of Innocence

11. Journeyman

Overall: 9 out of 10

Check Out: Paschendale, Face In The Sand

"Futures" by Jimmy Eat World

JEW return to the forefront of emotive rock with this offering.

Where to start? Well, the beginning might be best. Indeed, title track Futures sets the general tone and pace of the album. A fantastic little chugger of a song that gets its hooks into you early and drags you along on its emotive wings. Second song, Just Tonight, is also a catchy effort and follows on nicely from the title track - even managing to lift the listener with another strong chorus.

Of course, we I couldn't review this album without mentioning the truly inspiring Pain. The first single off the album, and the best. I cannot stress how good this song is - it must be just heard to be believed. Closely followed behind this outstanding piece of musicianship is the well crafted and steadily paced Drugs Or Me.

The acoustic guitar gets a run out on the good song Kill. Nothing Wrong sees the band start with a heavy bluster of guitars, leading into another contemporary classic with a brilliant riff/chorus combination.

In short, this album is truly marvelous. Pain, Futures, Drugs Or Me and Nothing Wrong stands out in the crowd, but all the tracks are good in their own right.

Track Listing:

1. Futures

2. Just Tonight

3. Work

4. Kill

5. World You Love

6. Pain

7. Drugs Or Me

8. Polaris

9. Nothing Wrong

10. Night Drive

11. 23

12. Shame (Bonus Track)

13. When I Want (Bonus Track)

Overall: 9.5 out of 10

Check Out: Pain, Futures, Drugs Or Me, Nothing Wrong.

Edited October 27, 2005 by Kid Britain

[Liam]

I really should dust off my Dance Of Death CD....it rocked.