Atreyu--The Curse (sampler)
I do not like this band. So, no...I didn't go out and buy this, I instead am reviewing a two song promo sampler I found.
Packaging--
The good:
The cover is a red haired girl with fangs. I do enjoy redheads.
The bad:
I don't have the album, so I can't really comment.
The music:
Did I mention I like redheads with fangs?
The bad--
This represents everything wrong with music today. The band is too afraid to remain heavy...if they don't put the singing "emotional" parts, how are they going to sell records? They won't.
The vocals...the barking is average...it's executed fine, but it's generic. You can go to any record store, or say, anything on Trustkill Records and find a vocalist who sounds like this. Clean vocals...same thing. If you can sing, then sing, but if you have no range and can only keep a tune, then save it for the shower.
The music...uninteresting, it's been done before, it's been done better. I don't mind music that's "been done before" but this is weak. The two songs on here are not memorable, and are quite frankly irritating.
Hardcore used to be this interesting thing with bands that were good and passionate. It was also aggressive. I don't care if something is popular...I certainly don't turn my back on bands that get popular...if anything I feel bad for bands that I think deserve more popularity (Earth Crisis, for example).
But this is generic mall-core. This is 2004's nu-metal. I don't know what's worse...some bozo rapping or some bozo trying to be "emo" and singing. I almost prefer nu-metal, because they created their own thing....this is taking a perfectly acceptable form of music and watering it down.
Why would you think taking aggressive music and putting weak parts into it would work? Why would a band in a style of music that relies on the bark/growl think that putting some mediocre clean vocals would work? If the vocals were good they might have something, but they're completely uninspired.
Recap�
If you like hardcore, or metalcore...then try some Hatebreed, or some Unearth. If you like emo, then listen to Thursday. If you like both, then get $25 and buy one Thursday album and one Unearth album...don't combine them. It doesn't work.
And really, nothing personal...I just needed to put a bad review up, I'm tired of writing about how much I like stuff.
Review by Chris