Published December 19, 2011
This is a solid release that old and new fans alike will probably enjoy, but the production is preventing it from reaching its potential.
First off, some shifts between sections are uncomfortable (the songs were most likely recorded in sections rather than in one continuous take), which means the songs lose a sense of ‘realness.’ It doesn’t sound like one continuous performance but instead like a composite of parts, cut and pasted together to make a Frankenstein monster of a song. Furthermore, the loud, rocking parts lack ‘balls.’ There is difference between loud and ‘balls.’ Y’see, loud is loud. ‘Balls’ is loud and gritty and overdriven and overblown and sounds like the fucking apocalypse. Why doesn’t this sound like the apocalypse?!
And last but not least, the reverb on the drums in ‘Revive’ when the song ‘explodes’ makes them sound like a Phil Collins out-take from “In The Air Tonight”…Phil Collins god-dammit! I say, ‘explodes’ because this point in the song is like one unholy cluster-fuck of the aforementioned production problems. It goes off like a damp squib and struggles through its transition like a drunk trying to make it through their front door after a night on the town.
C+. Must try harder.
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