La Gárgola | Chevelle

About a month ago, the American rock trio Chevelle has released a new album entitled La Gárgola, which is filled with cool guitar riffs that put a bit of a heavier spin on their music.

Throughout the years, I've heard some of Chevelle's singles on the radio and enjoyed them, but I've never been able to really get into their music until the summer of 2012 when I saw them live during the Carnival of Madness Tour. I was so impressed by the music and how well they performed that I went out and bought a few of their CDs, and I've been hooked ever since. While I must say that I love this band overall, sometimes their albums will only have a few songs I really get into while nothing else truly jumps out at me. This is kind of the case for La Gárgola. I've talked about this scenario quite a few times on this blog, where an album isn't bad at all, it just isn't grabbing me the way I'd hoped. But, a lot of these songs needed time to grow on me.

"Ouija Board" kicks the album off with a series of creepy bells that perfectly suit the creepy album art before diving into the full sound. We're one track in and this album has already caught my attention for being noticeably heavier than their recent material. The energy's high and the lyrics are abstract as hell (a common characteristic of Chevelle songs). There a few parts of the vocal line that especially catch my attention (in terms of both the lyrics and melodies themselves). Pete declares "Self explore your egoism" in both verses, but the last two ear-catching lines of the chorus display a major volume change: "Right or wrong if the world explodes / Well you and I are one."

As much as I enjoyed "Ouija Board," a couple of other songs made me just as enthused. "An Island" is easily one of my favorites from La Gárgola; the verses are incredibly catchy with the synthy guitar line, but it's still true to the album's heavy style. Pete Loeffler's vocals are able to suit the peculiar sound as he's able to fluctuate between higher, smoother notes and lower, rougher notes. But "Choking Game" also serves as one of the best songs of La Gárgola... Honestly, the more I listen to it, the more I like it. The vocals are especially nice in this track; they're so smooth with so many longer notes. In some way I can't put my finger on, this song reminds me of This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In), which happens to be my favorite Chevelle album.

"Hunter Eats Hunter" has great opening riffs with an intriguing chord progression, which is amplified in the chorus. Its bridge is especially heavy due to the pounding guitars and Pete's screaming ability. But "The Damned" has more cool, dangerous guitar riffs and a darker feel in the verses, and while the two songs aren't immediate favorites, they've managed to grow on me with each listen. The same may be happening with "Under the Knife" and its crazy, heavy feel.

Unfortunately, not to many other songs could really jump at me, but the other tracks do have a certain quality to them that would prevent me from skipping over them if I just needed some background music do listen to while cleaning or something. This is the case for "One Ocean" and "Twinge," which serve as the slower tracks, and they're more atmospheric than the rest of the album.

So, La Gárgola isn't bad at all. Not every song caught my attention right away, but honestly, they're all growing on me to some degree. It's an album that may need a little time to really be able to appreciate. The type of intriguing lyrics that make this band seem particularly intelligent are ever-present as usual, and of course, the Chevelle trait of ending lots of songs with guitar feedback also took precedence on this album. I think fans will be quite happy overall, and despite not loving it quite as intensely as I'd hoped, I'm relatively content too.

"Evanescence" | Evanescence

Five years have passed since Evanescence released their last album, The Open Door. Since they've been my favorite band since 2005 I have been especially excited for this album... not to mention quite impatient in the midst of my anticipation. Finally, they've come back with a different line-up as well as a general feel that sepreates from their previous albums in many ways. Everyone in the band contributed to the songwriting this time around, which was a big reason why they decided to name the album Evanescence. 

The album opens with the first single, "What You Want" and it may surprise people because it's so upbeat for Evanescence. It has a catchy hook and is undeniably infectious, making me unable to sit still. Amy's voice is a powerhouse and the band is rocking harder than ever, with Amy's piano of course.

"Made of Stone" follows, and it opens with heavy guitars with an eerie piano part overlapping it in the second half of the intro. Like the previous track, it's quite catchy. Amy's voice is angry and gorgeous all at the same time in this rock tune, repeatedly enforcing "It's never enough!". But, the bridge includes a very pretty piano bit that quickly gathers the drums and guitars and crescendos back into the band's new found heaviness.

The third track is called "The Change," and though the verses seem rather chill, the chorus blows up (I mean that in a good way). Amy's vocalizing might remind one of Alice in Chains and it sounds memorable and awesome! The lyrics are very good, much like in the next song, "My Heart is Broken." Although it certainly fits this new era, it reminds me of older Evanescence music, with Amy's soaring voice, the moving melodies, and combination of hard rock and classical. The piano is very potent throughout this piece as well, very soft at the beginning but it has a higher tempo for the rest of the song. All Evanescence fans should enjoy this one.

"The Other Side" is about death... but done differently. The drums begin the song, and even as the guitars and Amy's voice come in, it still sounds pretty upbeat. What is probably most noticeable is the fluiditys in the vocal line, and how cool it sounds when Amy sings "take me higher." But, the chorus and bridge are much bigger and darker than the verses, creating a very interesting track that captures a few different emotions. Next, we have "Erase This." A very catchy piano riff goes on throughout the song.

Evanescence has made the best ballads ever created in the history of the world and "Lost in Paradise" is no exception. Simplistic piano chords open the track, and Amy's voice sounds ethereal and vulnerable as she sings the best lyrics of the album. The piano picks up, strings come in, and between the chord progression and the emotion in Amy's voice, I get chills each time I hear her sing "...but I"m broken." When the band comes in, it emphasizes all the emotion in the lyrics and strengthens them. This will be the Evanescence fan anthem forever since it's about how Amy was "lost in paradise" when she took a break from the band. Amy herself has called it an "apology to the fans" in a track-by-track explanation with NME. It's beautiful and definitely my favorite from this album.

The eighth song is called "Sick," and the chorus immediately drew me in and had me pumping my fist. Amy's voice almost sounds scary as she belts out "Sick we are! Sick we are!" and for whatever reason it makes me think of the film V for Vendetta and overthrowing totalitarian governments. "End of the Dream" follows with a much more relaxing (yet still heavy) feel. The bridge sounds very metal-ish with the pounding, rythemic drums.

"Oceans" comes next, and it is one of my favorites. It opens with an electronic vibe, but it doesn't last long; the guitars kick in at the chorus, and are full-force in the urgent bridge. The vocalizing in the background of the chorus sounds purely amazing, and the line "cross the oceans in my mind" is just so classic to me. It's a great composition that will appeal to fans of just about any of Evanescence's eras.

The heaviest of the album is "Never Go Back," another one of the album's best tracks, written about the tsunami disaster in Japan. This is especially evident in my favorite line from the song: "The only world I've ever known sleeps beneath the waves." Metal is basically the only word to describe the heavy guitars, and Amy's voice still manages to soar above them. One of the best elements of this track is the epic bridge, where piano and guitars collide theatrically. I love it!

"Swimming Home" ends the standard edition of the album. It's by far the most different song from Evanescence; it's electronic and the harp is included for the first time. Again, it's about death, but in an usual way. It's about actually dying and saying goodbye. As previously mentioned, Evanescence is superior in the ballad department, but "Swimming Home" is probably the prettiest. Amy's gorgeous voice, the harp, and electronic composition is an otherworldly blend that will touch your heart.

The deluxe edition comes with four bonus tracks that are just as promising as this wonderful album. This includes "A New Way to Bleed," an awesome track that includes harp in the bridge; "Say You Will," a more upbeat track; "Disappear," a powerful song that won't disappoint those who enjoyed this album; and "Secret Door," a very unique and beautiful classical song that features the harp. "Secret Door" is probably the most relaxing song that's come from this band.

Evanescence has renovated their sound with every album, so the fact that this self-titled piece of work differs from the rest shouldn't be surprising to fans. Even so, I don't think that many will be disappointed in this new release. It's still very Evanescence-y and includes many fantastic songs. In my opinion, one of the biggest things that drives this band's music is the emotion put into each song that no one else can really capture, and there's plenty of that. Not to mention the incredible music.

Lyrically, this album is very strong. Amy seems more confident than ever, and in her writing it is evident that she knows there's a way out of darkness. It makes the album more positive than the other albums, yet it still has the dark vibe that comes with Evanescence's amazing music. She's a stronger person than ever before, and it shows.

Evanescence is back, and they are still the perfect band I've always believed them to be.

5/5 Stars

Life Starts Now | Three Days Grace

Ever since 2007, Three Days Grace has been one of my favorite bands. Their first two albums stayed true to their sound, though their sophomore album, One-X seemed a bit heavier than their first self-titled debut. I suppose I had a general idea about what was in store when I got their newest release from 2009, Life Starts Now.

"Bitter Taste" is the opening track. Three Days Grace typically opens with something hardcore, and this tradition still lives. The guitar riffs are nearly epic, and the lyrics are about forgetting someone from your life. It's a typical Three Days Grace song. There's an extremely intriquing guitar solo towards the middle of the end of the song. (Which I loved!) Adam Gontier's vocals are still amazing, harsh, and scratchy, yet so powerful.

The first single is the second track, entitled "Break". It's an okay song that seems to be about getting high, but it's really not that great. Nothing particularly special, like a spark, glows from it. "World So Cold" is next, and the sound still isn't the most impressive, but overall, I like the song with it's especially clear vocals and ten second organ break before the final chorus. I have many mixed feelings about the lyrics. The only thing that irks me the most is that the lyrics are so brooding, yet I do love the line "I'm too young to feel this old" from the bridge, and I also love the lyrics in the second verse.

"Lost in You" comes next. It's different than most songs by Three Days Grace. The guitars are sweeter, and it seems to be happier than most of their songs. It gives a bit of an alternative vibe, a vibe I don't think I've ever gotten from Three Days Grace. I really like this song. It relaxes me.

Song number five is like a mash up of Three Days Grace and Nickelback. It's called "The Good Life". It's easy to sing along with, and gives the 'Look, I'm a rockstar! Party and live "the good life"' feel and has a few synthesized vocals. But I'm not really into this track for whatever reason.

"No More" is sort of alternativey like "Lost in You", but heavier. It has layers of vocals, and is clearly about living in fear. The lyrics are simple, but quite good. The guitar riffs are really cool in this one, in a bit more of a mellow way, escpecially in the intro and in the outro. I really like this one, and I think a lot of people will.

PIANO? Yes! Three Days Grace and a gorgeous piano piece whisked me away in "Last to Know". Adams voice is so soft... and surprisingly perfect for the piano. If you read the lyrics on your own, they seem really corny, but it sounds nice with the music despite that. Later on, it picks up guitar like a magnet,drums come back, and Adam's voice is harsh again, creating an awesome Three Days Grace anthem. In the end, the lyrics are stronger, and Adam's voice softens when the piano comes back for the outro.

"Someone Who Cares" finally gives us better lyrics! It sometimes reminded me of something Genesis would do, with its eerie guitar effects. It's a song we can all relate to, and Adam definately made it come alive. For whatever reason, it felt like his voice was more emotional than usual. Towards the end, it gets pretty heavy, and has a very cool outro that slowly fades.

"Bully" opens with a bunch of random kids screaming before being blown away by guitars. Despite this bad impression, and having "Bully" for a title, it's not a bad song. The vocals are slightly sythesized, and it's pretty hardcore.

The opening sounds of "Without You" are awesome. It's a really good song, but the chorus doesn't entice me. It doesn't sound right... Adam's harsh and powerful voice saying he's "nothing at all" - I can't quite take that seriously. I really liked this track, overall.

Track eleven is "Goin' Down". If you mixed Korn with Three Days Grace, this would be the product. I loved the strange lyrics, but yet again, I didn't favor the chorus. I did enjoy the verses, though, and of course, Adam's voice. (In case you haven't noticed, I am a huge fan of Adam Gontier's voice.)

For the second time in a row, Three Days Grace titled their album after the final track. "Life Starts Now" is one of my favorites from the album (possibly my favorite). The lyrics are so different than the rest of the album. For once, we hear about empowerment that doesn't sound violent. In fact, it's even optimistic! I love this song! I find it inspiring. It opens with cool sounding guitars and it ends the album on a good note.

Even though there are some songs that I'm on the fence about, I think Life Starts Now is a good album. I don't think Three Days Grace fans will be disappointed, nor will anyone else that buys it. It's fun, it's serious, it has songs that people will relate to, and plays with a few different sounds. Go check this out.

3.5/5 stars

Fallen | Evanescence

"Now I will tell you what I've done for you" is the opening line to Fallen, which makes it sound as if Evanescence's lead singer, Amy Lee, is about to tell a story. "Going Under" is the starting song, and Amy's voice goes very low and quite high in this song, as well as the rest of the album. "Going Under" was a great pick to begin the album.

Next comes "Bring Me to Life", a duet with the lead singer of the band 12 Stones. This track begins with piano and cresendos into a new sound, filled with booming guitars, Amy's strong voice, and Paul's vocals (that are more like rapping). The sound remains similar, though not as deep or dramatic, into "Everybody's Fool". The lyrics are angrier, but still incredible. And, as usual, Amy's voice stands out above everything else.

The next song is a slow one, the main instrument being the piano. It turns out Evanescence can make acoustic music with as much brilliance as their heavier tracks. "My Immortal" is sad, and seems to revolve around death and loss... but at the same time it is about something, or someone, that lingers.

Creepy and snythesized effects come next in the song "Haunted". Amy's voice seems to be sewn into the first couple of lines, and then BOOM! All of a sudden, the music is loud and the guitars are back. Unlike the other songs, the drumline in "Haunted" really sticks out.

An airy intro leads into the following song, "Tourniquet". This may be one of the darkest songs from Fallen. After all, it is a song about suicide. Amy Lee's voice soars and carries the music behind it. At some point, she surprises us all by screaming "I want to die!" The string outro from "Tourniquet" leads straight into "Imaginary", one of the best and most influential songs from Fallen. The guitar riffs are melodic and unearthly, and as usual, Amy's voice is delicate, yet so powerful at the same time. Nothing could ever break such an amazing voice.

"Taking Over Me" is about obsession. The effects behind Amy's voice are electric as her voice sounds the desperate lyrics. It is not the best from Fallen, but it is still amazing nontheless.

Now we dive into "Hello", a much different experience than the earlier tracks. For nearly the whole song, all the listener hears is Amy's piano and voice. This song holds so much meaning, so much despair, it should be no surprise that it was written about a tragedy that effected Amy Lee. Everything about this song is beautiful.

The tenth track is called "My Last Breath". It is particularly deep, and the most romantic song on the album. It is heavy and melodic, as most of the album, but there is something special about it within the lyrics and melody.

Last comes "Whisper", the darkest and heaviest song from Fallen. The opening guitar riffs are like classic Evanescence, edgy and awesome. Every lyrics is dark as a pit, but sung so gracefully, which helps to make it one of the most epic songs I've ever heard. A fabulous ending to the masterclass album.

Truth to be told, Evanescence is my favorite band, and Fallen is one of the best albums I've ever heard, if not the best. I love this album more than I could ever tell you; it means so much to me, and is truly extraordinary.

Epic, beautiful, and emotional, with a hard rock/symphoniac/electronic sound.

5/5 stars.