Post by Matt on Mar 16, 2011 2:34:53 GMT
Hi guy's
I recently wrote a couple of music review for another site. I was thinking I'd post them here and see if we can get a kind of community review of music we buy going on.
You know give people an insight in to new music your listening to, what you like but also what you might not like (though I was thinking more constructive and not just it's [censored])
I did my kind of formally but I'm not suggesting anyone has to follow the pattern I have.
Enemo –J
Enemo J are back, with there 3rd studio album, after two good if low key releases from the middle to end of the last decade. Enemo J are a Nu Metal band that have never passed (until recently) low key regional success. Now on the back of supporting Korn and Playing Download last year the band are making a shot for wider recognition with, ‘When evolution is outlawed only outlaws will evolve’
Enemo J are born from the end of the late 90’s early 2000’s nu-metal explosion, as such this album may be little more then a somewhat dirty pleasure as most people try to forget we ever liked the baffling sub genre. If however during your teens you moshed to the likes of Korn, spineshank, limpbizkit and disturbed to name just a few, this band will certainly bring back memories of dank clubs/pubs and baggy jeans with dangling metal chains. It begs the question, does the album have enough to stand on it’s own or does it rely on being a throw back to another era?
It’s a complicated question, however the answer unfortunately seems to be that the overly wordy titled new album isn’t the best thing to come out of the nu-metal scene or even from the indie nu metalers own back catalogue. In fact Evolution seems to be a step backwards in terms of both music and production values from their previous effort. With songs such as ‘leave your ghosts’ seeming to get lost half way though, which is a shame as the band is trying to champion the new album with the track.
The direction of the guitar in the new album also seems to have taken a turn for a more complex, with sweep picking and more technical solo’s taking the place of some of the gruff nu metal riffs of previous efforts. Unfortunately this isn’t advantageous, it sits oddly which the otherwise typical nu metal rifts in the album. In tracks like ‘our final day’ the end of ‘1012’ ‘leave your ghosts’ and ‘Paige,’ this is particularly noticeable. The rest of the album however doesn’t seem to change the previous albums nu-metal staples right down to the pretentious spoken word interludes. Indeed the over the top screaming and rapping all remain un changed from enemo-J’s previous efforts and make the guitar feel disjoined and out of place, it only adds to the feeling the new guitar parts have been slapped on top of what really seem like unreleased tracks from the bands previous efforts.
However that said, the core of the band are unchanged, they do well to keep the sprit of nu metal alive. Having two lead singers helps add vocal diversity to the band, with screaming, rapping and more melody driven volcals all finding a place on the album. Seeing as the previous 2 efforts weren’t broken, Evolution has enough left of what made the first two albums worth buying to make the new album at least worth a listen as the band do provided a healthy dose of what you would expect from a nu metal album, anger, gritty heavy muted guitar rifts, rapping, catchy songs (you know for metal) and yet more anger.
The more melodic parts of Paige, the first single Our Final Days and the rap dominated Son of Elohiem which draws on the lead singers Christian beliefs in a suitably angry way are all worth listening to, and latter has nice interplay between the two lead singers, the closer ‘frontlines’ is a nice if pedestrian closer with a real rap metal feel; it's good but leaves the feeling of being a little short changed.
Over all Evolution is not a bad album but it isn’t fresh either, the new guitar parts seem hastily added and the bands new guitarist has perhaps found himself in the wrong band. If Enemo J wanted to use this album to hit the mainstream unfortunately it doesn’t seem like this album will be the bands break our release.
Though it's worth praising the powerful vocals of guest vocalist Katie Carnes, who raw vocal power suggests her new band will be one to watch.
Outside of the album the band have powerful stage presence particularly lead singer Craig who manage’s in both on stage dance moves, delivery of his lyrics and nu metal attire mange to transport you back to a time when everyone kept on ‘rollin’!
Enemo J tacks to listen to: Quail Boy, Shotgun, Our Final day, and Last Children of History
Tracks to avoid: 1012, Leave Your Ghosts
Reason to like Enemo - J: Good live band with great stage presence
Reason to dislike Enemo -J: Maybe it’s time nu metal died, generic nu metal.
Rating: 6.5
I recently wrote a couple of music review for another site. I was thinking I'd post them here and see if we can get a kind of community review of music we buy going on.
You know give people an insight in to new music your listening to, what you like but also what you might not like (though I was thinking more constructive and not just it's [censored])
I did my kind of formally but I'm not suggesting anyone has to follow the pattern I have.
Enemo –J
Enemo J are back, with there 3rd studio album, after two good if low key releases from the middle to end of the last decade. Enemo J are a Nu Metal band that have never passed (until recently) low key regional success. Now on the back of supporting Korn and Playing Download last year the band are making a shot for wider recognition with, ‘When evolution is outlawed only outlaws will evolve’
Enemo J are born from the end of the late 90’s early 2000’s nu-metal explosion, as such this album may be little more then a somewhat dirty pleasure as most people try to forget we ever liked the baffling sub genre. If however during your teens you moshed to the likes of Korn, spineshank, limpbizkit and disturbed to name just a few, this band will certainly bring back memories of dank clubs/pubs and baggy jeans with dangling metal chains. It begs the question, does the album have enough to stand on it’s own or does it rely on being a throw back to another era?
It’s a complicated question, however the answer unfortunately seems to be that the overly wordy titled new album isn’t the best thing to come out of the nu-metal scene or even from the indie nu metalers own back catalogue. In fact Evolution seems to be a step backwards in terms of both music and production values from their previous effort. With songs such as ‘leave your ghosts’ seeming to get lost half way though, which is a shame as the band is trying to champion the new album with the track.
The direction of the guitar in the new album also seems to have taken a turn for a more complex, with sweep picking and more technical solo’s taking the place of some of the gruff nu metal riffs of previous efforts. Unfortunately this isn’t advantageous, it sits oddly which the otherwise typical nu metal rifts in the album. In tracks like ‘our final day’ the end of ‘1012’ ‘leave your ghosts’ and ‘Paige,’ this is particularly noticeable. The rest of the album however doesn’t seem to change the previous albums nu-metal staples right down to the pretentious spoken word interludes. Indeed the over the top screaming and rapping all remain un changed from enemo-J’s previous efforts and make the guitar feel disjoined and out of place, it only adds to the feeling the new guitar parts have been slapped on top of what really seem like unreleased tracks from the bands previous efforts.
However that said, the core of the band are unchanged, they do well to keep the sprit of nu metal alive. Having two lead singers helps add vocal diversity to the band, with screaming, rapping and more melody driven volcals all finding a place on the album. Seeing as the previous 2 efforts weren’t broken, Evolution has enough left of what made the first two albums worth buying to make the new album at least worth a listen as the band do provided a healthy dose of what you would expect from a nu metal album, anger, gritty heavy muted guitar rifts, rapping, catchy songs (you know for metal) and yet more anger.
The more melodic parts of Paige, the first single Our Final Days and the rap dominated Son of Elohiem which draws on the lead singers Christian beliefs in a suitably angry way are all worth listening to, and latter has nice interplay between the two lead singers, the closer ‘frontlines’ is a nice if pedestrian closer with a real rap metal feel; it's good but leaves the feeling of being a little short changed.
Over all Evolution is not a bad album but it isn’t fresh either, the new guitar parts seem hastily added and the bands new guitarist has perhaps found himself in the wrong band. If Enemo J wanted to use this album to hit the mainstream unfortunately it doesn’t seem like this album will be the bands break our release.
Though it's worth praising the powerful vocals of guest vocalist Katie Carnes, who raw vocal power suggests her new band will be one to watch.
Outside of the album the band have powerful stage presence particularly lead singer Craig who manage’s in both on stage dance moves, delivery of his lyrics and nu metal attire mange to transport you back to a time when everyone kept on ‘rollin’!
Enemo J tacks to listen to: Quail Boy, Shotgun, Our Final day, and Last Children of History
Tracks to avoid: 1012, Leave Your Ghosts
Reason to like Enemo - J: Good live band with great stage presence
Reason to dislike Enemo -J: Maybe it’s time nu metal died, generic nu metal.
Rating: 6.5