Scars on Broadway Scars on Broadway (2008) Genre: Alternative Metal, Alternative Rock

Scars on Broadway

Scars on Broadway (2008)

Genre: Alternative Metal, Alternative Rock

 This album is somewhat of a surprise, for good and bad, it has some really interesting songs but I expected much more guitar playing and solos from Daron Malakian. So here we go with my brief review for this album.

Vocals and Lyrics: Daron’s vocals are pretty good, the apple doesn’t fall far from the System of a Down tree, but he holds up well on his own. 8

Instrumentation:

Guitar, Bass and Keys: As I said in the intro, I expected much much more guitar playing from Daron, especially his trademark ethnic style but he leaves that mostly for System of a Down. The rest of the instrumentation that he plays, which is the bass and the keys, Malakian does a pretty interesting job.

Drums: John Dolmayan is a fantastic drummer, nuff said. 7 .25

  

Melody and/or Structure: Doran has no problems in this department; the album is interesting in both of these aspects. 8

Sound, Production and Feeling: The sound and production is good but basic. 7

Songs: This album is solid most of the songs are great, and the others grow on you over time. There are two types of songs: ones similar to System which are pretty eccentric and the others songs that are straight forward power tracks. 13

The Bad:

                                                                                                     

Originality: One enters with some expectation because of the System of a Down legacy, and we find a band trying to blaze its own path.  8

Overall: 51.25

Marilyn Manson Antichrist Superstar (1996) Genre: Industrial Metal, Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal

Marilyn Manson

Antichrist Superstar (1996)

Genre: Industrial Metal, Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal

Man I remember when this album can out, all the uproar around this guy. The parents of my class mates at my school, where freaking when they found out that one of the students in my class had brought the CD to school. Everyone was talking about that this album was Satanic, and there where kinds rumors circling around the figure of Manson (he probably started most of them to boost his carrier). I remember there was rumor that he was going to kill himself in a live show in Santiago Chile, and bunch of numb nuts got ticks to the show just to see him do it, that’s a great marketing campaign.

This album is really good and pretty intriguing as a concept album, but it has a lot of Nine Inch Nails input.  

Vocals and Lyrics: Manson’s lyrics are as every bit intriguing, shocking and just a little too politically incorrect. But as a concept album it’s an interesting concept that Manson is trying to get across. 9

Instrumentation: The band serves the needs of the album and the story, the instrumentation is pretty good especial the drums. But the keys and loops real set the tone to the album. Another thing that almost every member of Nine Inch Nails plays on the album: Trent Reznor, Chris Vrenna, Robin Finck and Danny Lohner.      7.5

Melody and/or Structure: Mood and concept hijack the album.7

Sound, Production and Feeling: Trent Reznor presence looms large in this album you can hear tons of Nine Inch Nails details in the sound and in the production F/X. 10

Songs: It’s a long album but every song is masterpiece. 15

The Bad:

                                                                                                     

Originality: Even though NIN makes their mark on this album, you can hear many of the trade mark things that will establish the course of Marilyn Manson for at least the next three albums. 10

Overall: 58.5

(hed) p.e. Evolution Genre: Rap Metal, Alternative Metal, Nu Metal, Reggae

(hed) p.e.

Evolution

Genre: Rap Metal, Alternative Metal, Nu Metal, Reggae

I’ve been a diehard (hed) p.e. for a long time and it’s has been a rough ride the last few albums where not that good, but man this album really let me down.

Vocals and Lyrics: Jared is a man devoid of any new ideas for a while now. He should get together with Marilyn Manson and start a self help group. 6  

Instrumentation:        

Guitar: Jaxon has his moments on the album; his guitars are best thing that I can find in Evolution.

Bass: Mawk doesn’t do much

Drums: Trauma plays slower on this album adding to a more groove oriented album. 6.5

Melody and/or Structure: A couple of good riffs, but the songs are pretty predictable in their structure.7

Sound, Production and Feeling: Good sound, but basic. 7

Songs: a few good songs to add to their live catalogue. 5

The Bad: the album song sound uninspired and Dj Project isn’t in the band any more so you don’t have his impute. -2

                                                                                                     

Originality: The band tries to mix thing up slowing the tempo get more of a heavy metal groove and that’s  great, but the songs are terrible unoriginal they repeat stuff from older albums. 6

Overall: 35.5

Linkin Park and Dead by Sunrise complete discography review ( Work in Prgress)

Linkin Park

Hybrid Theory (HT) (2000) Meteora (M) (2003)

Genre: Nu Metal, Rap Metal, Alternative Metal

I mashed together both of these reviews because both albums sound pretty much alike, the band tried to capture lighting in a jar again and the pretty much used  many of the same Ideas on Hybrid and reused them Meteora, but I must say I do enjoy both albums they sound like one big double album. 

 So let's go with my review :

Vocals: Linkin Park has a 311 dynamic with one vocalist the raps, Mike Shinoda and a melodic singer Chester Bennington that adds a pretty intense screams in the Nu metal heavy parts, these guys work great  together, their interaction  adds a lot to the songs, but sadly on Meteora they copy a couple of things they did on Hybrid.  HT 10 M 8

Guitar: Brad Delson is as basic as they come, ok riffs in the choruses and  not doing much on the verses, just leaving room for Mr. Hahn.  

 Bass: On both albums the bass doesn't play much of a role in the songs, now the difference between productions  is that on  Meteora Phoenix the original bassist plays on that production, while on Hybrid Delson does the honors, I have no idea why Phoenix isn't on their first album.

 

Drums: Rob Bourbon does a ok job, being more hip hop than heavy, and he uses on both albums midi triggers on the drums to add to his sound (note it probably Mr. Hahn at work here). 

Keys and Turntables : Mr. Hahn DJ work makes this band stand apart, he brings a lot to the songs, not only adorning them , he does some cool stuff even though it difficult to separate what he does, from production tricks. It also interesting to hear how the band brings back key boards by the hand of Mike Shinoda, they had disappeared in band during the 90's   HT/ M 7

Melody and/or Structure: Melodically this band is very interesting they know how to write good songs  that are memorable  and have a pop sensitivity without sacrificing substance, on a structure level the song have a new metal basic structure  Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus Angry part, Chorus, they are predictable in this aspect. HT /M 10

Sound, Production and Feeling: Don Gilmore's production is good, he seems to work off Hahn's samples  and Shinoda's keys to make the songs chuck full of interesting details, both album sound alike, they can get heavy but never forbidding, and very alternative radio friendly  HT/M 10

Songs: Both album  are short but sweet, with a good batch of hit singles.  HT 12 M 13

The Bad: Metoera has no artistic progression from Hybrid the play it real safe on this album copying stuff from their previous efforts to make sure the land a hit. M -1

Originality:  These guys with Limp Bizkit break Nu Metal into the mainstream and are able to appeal to a very large base of new fans, drawing new people to listen Nu Metal and Alternative Metal, so they deserve some merit to this.  HT 10 M8

Overall: HT 59 M 55

Linkin Park

Reanimation

Genre: Nu Metal, Rap Metal, Hip Hop, Electronic

This is a remix album with songs from Hybrid Theory and surprisingly it's really good, and maybe better that the original, this is something that I've only seen once with another band,  Nine Inch Nails,  where I anticipate their remix album almost as much as the studio albums. It isn't as cookie cutter Nu Metal as Hybrid they  actually rework some of the songs letting them stretch their legs, the songs have matured with time and grown, there is a strong Hip Hop element to this production with a long list of guest rappers that I have no idea who they, are but they kill it. Also there are a couple of Nu Metal guests like  Jonathan Davis from Korn, the Aaron Lewis from Staind and even the Dude from Taproot, making some interesting addictions to the songs. 

Overall: 62 

Linkin Park

Minutes to Midnight

Genre: Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal, Rap Metal

Moving away from the Nu Metal sound the band tries to experiment with its sound and style,  trying to scale back the samples and keys and having a less of a hip hop presence. But sadly they mostly fail  the band alone with less Hahn and Shinoda can't hold up the album the writing is pretty mediocre, Chester gets overly melodic and starts to drag the production with overly radio-friendly ballads. When Shinoda raps thing really picks up, the energy  level spikes and a couple of experimental ideas do work it isn't all bad. It one of the few Rick Rubin production  that I don't like the mix is terrible.

Overall: 49

 

 

 

Dead by Sunrise

Out of the Ashes (2009)

Genre: Alternative Rock, Hard Rock

All that I can say about this band that has to ex Orgy members Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck teaming up with Chester from Linkin Park, is that it sucks, totally boring and the album goes nowhere.

Overall: 38

Linkin Park

Little Things (2012)

Genre: Alternative Rock/Pop, Pop Metal, Alt Hip Hop

Vocals and Lyrics: Mike and Chester do a good job; they are the driving force in the band. 7

Instrumentation: The band is almost totally lost among the drum machines, synthesizers and samples. 6.5        

 

Melody and/or Structure: It has a couple colossal sing along choruses with simple melodies is what keeps this Album afloat. 8

Sound, Production and Feeling: Production almost replaces the band. 10

Songs: It’s weird, to many songs sound the same; they do not differentiate themselves to well.

Except for Victimize that kick ass.8

The Bad: The singles to the album sound very similar. -1

                                                                                                     

Originality: Album is more focused compared to “A Thousand Suns”, there are more songs not just concepts. 7  

Overall: 45.5

Linkin Park  

One More Light (2017)

Genre: Pop, Electronic Pop, ¿Alternative Pop Rock?

Linkin Park again go for a sound shift, these guys have a musical identity issue. From my point of view,   bands that are limited as musicians tend to make these constant stylistic shifts to hide that they are pretty mediocre songwriters or that they have run out of ideas. This is the same thing that has been plaguing Korn the past 10 years. 

Mediocre, bland and predictable as hell are the best way to describe this album, it's a complete waist of time, I have no problem with bands going pop or trying things like this but justify pissing off your fans with good material.

 
overall: 29